232 LAMENESS. 



error lias been so often committed, that the peculiarity of gait 

 which has led to it has been called " cross-lameness." For 

 example, a horse lame in the off fore leg is trotted from the 

 observer ; he seems as if he were lame in the near hind, for the 

 quarter seems to ascend and descend. But when the animal 

 is trotted towards the observer, it will be seen that the irregu- 

 lar motion of the hind quarters depends upon the elevation 

 and dropping of the head and body ; and that the lameness in 

 reality is in the fore, and not the hind limb. An opinion must 

 not be given before the horse has been trotted from and towards 

 the observer. Of course there are many cases where lameness 

 is so apparent that such an examination is quite uncalled for ; 

 at the samo time, there are many other cases so slight in degree 

 as to require the most rigid scrutiny. 



The next difficulty is the detection of lameness when it is 

 situated in both fore feet. When such is the case, an animal 

 may seem to go as if sound. Advantage has been taken of this 

 by low horse-dealers, who, when they have a horse lame in one 

 fore foot, make him lame in the other also. This is by them 

 technically termed " Beaning," and consists in placing a small 

 piece of iron tightly under the shoe of the sound foot, which 

 produces so much pain as to cause lameness. A more refined 

 method has latterly come into vogue, that of paring the toe of 

 the sound foot nearly to the quick, and so adapting the shoe 

 as to press upon the weakened spot. 



A horse lame in both feet, although he may not drop in his 

 gait, will be short in action; will go, as it has been more 

 forcibly than elegantly expressed, " like a cat on hot bricks." 

 Each foot is carefully put to the ground, and quickly lifted up 

 again, while at the same time there is a rolling motion of the 

 body. In other cases he may exhibit the lameness in one foot 

 as he goes from, and in the other as he approaches the observer. 

 Such cases are very confusing, and require all the veterinary 

 surgeon's discriminative powers. Care must be taken not to 

 confound peculiarity of action with lameness. For example, a 

 horse, especially a young one, may appear lame in the near 

 fore foot, if led with a short rein, and his head pulled to one 

 side, or when he is first bitted. This is called " bridle lame- 

 ness ;" it disappears when the animal is run in a slack rein. 

 Again, horses which are habitually exercised in a ring, or 



