30 SECURING AND RELEASING LIMBS. 



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 

 movements 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 which are for the moment uppermost, can also be 



Fig. 47. — The hobble- Fig. 48. — Bernadot and Butel's apparatus for the 



ehain key. prevention of broken back. 



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. 43. 



For operations on the fore-limb, like 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 

 castration 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 below upwards around the Achilles tendon and once 



