276 PARTICULAR LAMENESSES. 



cases, where shortening has permanently taken place, the opera- 

 tion of tenotomy must be performed. 



Many horses with contraction of the tendons will perform 

 very slow w^ork moderately well if a piece of iron is attached to 

 the toe of the shoe, projecting an inch or two in front of it, and 

 slightly turned up at its anterior part. This acts as a lever 

 upon the toe, forcing the heel downwards, and prevents " knuck- 

 ling over " on the front of the fetlock- joint. 



Tenotomy, or division of the tendons, is performed as follows : — 

 The animal must be cast with the lame limb lying undermost, 

 which is to be detached from the hobble, and kept in a semi-flexed 

 position by a cord placed round the fetlock. The operator must 

 feel for the anterior edge of the tendon, a little below the middle 

 of the leg. He then must introduce a small sharp-pointed scalpel, 

 flatwise, through the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which occu- 

 pies the space between the tendons and suspensory ligament, 

 until its point touches the skin of the opposite side of the leg, 

 keeping close to the tendon to avoid dividing the artery. The 

 sharp-pointed scalpel is now withdrawn, and a probe-pointed 

 tenotomy knife introduced in the same manner, until the probe 

 point can be felt by the operator under the skin of the opposite 

 side, when its edge must be turned towards the tendon, and the 

 limb forcibly extended by an assistant. This extension will 

 cause the tendon to press firmly on the edge of the knife, the 

 operator at the same time cutting slowly towards the wound in 

 the skin. The movements of the knife must be slow and 

 cautious (or the skin may be wounded), until both perforans 

 and perforatus are cleanly cut. In many cases it is found that 

 the heel cannot be brought to the ground owing to the presence 

 of old adhesions about the fetlock and pastern joints. These 

 adhesions must be forcibly broken by powerful extension, such 

 as by the operator placing his knee against the front of the horse's 

 leg, and forcibly drawing the leg and foot forward until the 

 adhesions give way. 



In performing tenotomy, a small wound is essential ; for if 

 a large one be made, a fungous growth springs up from it, 

 which is difficult to remove, and which sets up the suppurative 

 action, causes irritative fever, delays the healing process, and 

 leaves an ugly blemish. 



The incision through the skin is always made in the fore leg 



