CHAPTER XIV. 



PATiTicuLAR LAMENESSES — Continued. 



SPEEDY-CUT — BROKEN KNEES — SPRAIN OF FLEXOR TENDONS — SPRAINS 



OF SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT — SPRAIN OF FETLOCK-JOINT SESA- 



MOIDITIS — RIN G-BONES. 



" Speedy-Cut " is the name of an injury to the region of the 

 carpus, which often causes lameness. This injury is inflicted 

 by the horse striking his leg with the opposite foot. Sometimes 

 the bruise is above the knee, upon the skin covering the promi- 

 nent process upon the internal surface of the radius, which gives 

 attachment to the lateral ligament of the joint. It is only high- 

 stepping horses that are liable to inflict this injury in the trot, 

 but in the gallop almost any horse may do it. 



When a horse strikes himself, as in speedy-cut, he is liable to 

 fall from the violence of the pain, thus endangering the life of 

 the rider, and breaking his own knees. 



In the examination of horses as to soundness, care must be 

 taken to detect any marks of former bruises upon the inner 

 side of the knee arising from this cause. The marks may be 

 on the lower extremity of the radius, or upon any prominent 

 part of the inner surface of the knee or head of the metacarpal 

 bone. Wherever situated, I am of opinion that they should be 

 considered as causes of unsoundness, since they indicate a fault, 

 which at any time may interfere with the usefulness of the 

 animal. 



The symptoms of speedy-cut are — inflammation and swelling 

 of the skin, collection of fluid in the subcutaneous areolar tissue, 

 constituting a serous abscess, or the formation of pus in the 

 part, with lameness, accompanied occasionally by a good deal of 

 fever. 



