296 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



disposed to curb. An animal having a long narrow hock 

 and long metatarsal bones, or one with a coarse or bent 

 hock, is more likely to suffer from curb than an animal 

 with a well-shaped hock. The exciting causes may be said 

 to be hard and fast work. Any violent exertion or move- 

 ment in which the parts are subjected to a severe strain 

 may produce it. Hence often a horse has curb in conse- 

 quence of running, jumping, playing, rearing, etc., rear- 

 ing with a heavy rider on the back being a very prolific 

 cause of curb. Driving an animal in deep snow will produce 

 it as quickly as any other cause. SlijDping may also cause 

 curb, as will backing a horse very rapidly, or when he has 

 to move a heavy load. It is of more frequent occurrence 

 in j^oung than in old animals, and is also more serious. 

 Associated with curb, in a young horse predisposed to it, 

 there is frequently found a sort of puffy tumour, extending 

 up the groove which is situated a little to the inner side, 

 and through which the flexor pedis tendon plays. This 

 variety is difficult to cure, requiring a long time, and 

 after the acute symptoms have disappeared, if the animal is 

 put to work too soon, he will very quickly become lame 

 again. 



Sijmptoms. — The j^resence of a curb is, as a rule, easily 

 detected. The animal has more or less difficult}" in ex- 

 tending the limb, there is an enlargement on the posterior 

 aspect of the hock-joint, situated some little distance below 

 the point of the os calcis, and extending perpendicularly 

 from above downward, and giving the hock a bowed or 

 bent ajDpearance, which is most readily detected by 

 standing on one side of the animal and viewing the part. 

 Heat, which is often considerable, is present, and manipu- 

 lation may cause the animal to give evidence of some 

 slight pain. There is also lameness, more or less 

 marked, and a peculiarity of curb lameness is that, if the 



