SECURING AND RELEASING LIMBS. 



33 



fore-feet must be drawn out in front of the horse, and the animal 

 assisted by men placed at its quarter, shoulder, and tail. 



The animal having been cast, it may become necessary to release 

 and again secure a limb, according to the operation to be performed. 

 For this purpose the best material is webbing ; cords are apt to cut. 

 The webbing having been doubled, a running loop is formed in it and 

 slipped over the horse's fetlock ; the two ends of webbing are then 

 passed in opposite directions and held fast by assistants. The men 

 sitting on the shoulder and haunch can also check the animal's move- 

 ments by utilising their weight and by grasping the limbs with their 

 hands. A better method, however, is to pass a loop of webbing around 

 the two forearms or cannon bones. Movement in the fore and hind limbs 



Fig. 49. — The hobble- 

 chain key. 



Fig. 50. — Bernadot and Butel's apparatus for the prevention of 

 broken back. 



which are for the moment uppermost, can also be checked by passing 

 a large strap or piece of webbing over the hock-joint and then around 

 the forearm, or by the application of the cross-hobbles shown in Fig. 45. 



For operations on the fore-limb, hke extirpation of the lateral 

 cartilage, neurectomy, etc., Moller's method of fixing the limb to a 

 long plank is very useful. The plank should be well padded, and 

 provided with a long curved iron handle. It is less useful for hind limbs, 

 inasmuch as the limb can only be fixed at two points, viz. at the 

 fetlock and above or below the hock. 



To draw a hind foot closer to a fore-foot, as in preparing for castra- 

 tion in the side position, a running loop is formed at the end of a piece 

 of webbing and slipped over the fetlock of the hind foot ; the webbing 

 is then carried over the withers, beneath the neck, over the front of 

 the chest, around the forearm, and thence backwards, passing from 



3 



