THE HIND LEGS. THE HAUNCH. 381 



limbs, there will generally be in them injury of tlie bones to be added to 

 tbat of the ligaments. In its early stage, and wlicn recognised by a bony 

 enlargement on both sides of the pastern-joint, or in some few cases on one 

 side only, if the lameness is considerable, the animal should be kept at rest 

 and antiphlogistic treatment adopted. The parts should be fomented with 

 warm water and a dose of purgative medicine adnainistered. When the 

 acute inflammation has subsided, we apply counter-irritation, either in the 

 shape of a blister (the biniodide of mercury and lard, in the proportion of 

 a drachm of the former to one ounce of the latter, being the best), or the 

 actual cautery. When it comes on without lameness the latter treatment 

 may be adopted at once. 



But there is so much wear and tear in this part of the animal, that the 

 inflammation and the disposition to the formation of bone rapidly spread. 

 The pasterns first become connected together by bone instead of ligament, 

 and thence results what is called an anchylosed or fixed joint. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THE HIND LEGS. 



THE HAUNCH. 



The haunch (see 0, p. 140 ; and the ciit, p. 360) is composed of thi^ee 

 bones. The first is the ilium, principally concerned in the formation of 

 the haunch. Its extended branches behind the flanks are prominent in every 

 horse. When they are more than usually vride, the animal is said to be 

 ragged-liipped. A branch runs up to the spine at the commencement of 

 the sacral vertebra?, and here the haunch-bones are firmly tinited with the 

 bones of the spine. The ischium, or hip-bone, is behind and below the 

 ilium. Its tuberosities or prominences are seen under the tail (cut, 

 p. 140). The pubis unites ^^^.th the two former below and behind. These 

 three iDones are perfectly distinct in the foetus, but in the horse become so 

 intimately united as to constitute one solid bone. 



From the loins to the setting on of the tail a line should be earned on 

 almost straight, or drooping only in a slight degree. Thus the haunch- 

 bones will be most oblique, and will produce a corresponding obliquity, or 

 slanting direction, in the thigh-bone — a direction in which, as stated when 

 the fore legs were described, the muscles act with most advantage. This 

 direction of the quarters is characteristic of the thorough-bred horse ; and 

 by the degree in which it is found, we judge to a considerable extent of 

 the breeding of the animal. If the bones at D and E, p. 140, take a some- 

 what arched form, as they do in the cart-horse, it is evident that the 

 haunch-bone would be more upright. The thigh-bone P would like- 

 wise be so. The stifle Q would not be so for under the bod}', and the 

 power of the horse would be considerably impaired. The oblique direc- 

 tion of the haunch and thigh-bones, produced by the straightness of the 

 line of the spine, does not, as is commonly supposed, afford increased sur- 

 face for the attachment of muscles, but places the muscles in a direction 

 to act ■\\4th great advantage. It is in the advantageous direction, quite as 

 much as in the bulk of the muscle, that the strength of the horse consists. 



It \n\\ be seen, from the different cuts, that the angles formed by the 

 fore and hind extremities have different directioiis. One points forward, 



