84 The Ailments of Horses, 



have their grinding surfaces worn away in 

 a very oblique direction. Kasp down the 

 irregularities. 



Polishing of the grinding surface is in- 

 curable. Soft food is about the best 

 means of keeping up existence. 



Entangled teeth — a condition occa- 

 sionally found during shedding of the 

 temporary ones— call for the removal of 

 the milk-tooth at the seat of entangle- 

 ment. 



Tendons, sprained. — Below the knee 

 ajid hock joints the muscles above end in 

 ribbonlike bands, known as " flexor " 

 and " extensor " tendons, the functions of 

 wdiich are those of flexing (bending) and 

 extending (stretching forward) the limbs. 

 Now, any form of severe exertion neces- 

 sitates extra strain being put upon the 

 muscles to which these tendons are 

 attached, or rather from which they come, 

 consequently the belly or fleshy part of 

 the muscle, contracting too powerfully, 

 exercises undue tension upon the delicate 

 fibres of its tendon, provoking in these 

 inflammation, and perhaps rupture of 

 some of the libres. This commonly 

 happens to the " flexors." 



Symptoms. — If the injury is recent 

 there will be increased heat, swelling, 

 resting of the limb, and pain upon 

 manipulation. 



After a time the tendon shortens, and 

 the animal knuckles over. 



" Breakdown " of the racehorse is due 

 to rupture of the tendon fibres j either of 

 one or both limbs, 



