40 HORSE SENSE. 



Having determined which leg is lame, the next thing is to locate the 

 seat of the lameness. 

 WHEN IN DOUBT, MOVE A SOUND HORSE WITH THE 

 LAME ONE. 



If there is any doubt about whether the animal is using its legs prop- 

 erly, take a sound animal and trot it up and down, and compare its 

 actions with those of the lame one 



SHOULDER LAMENESS DETECTED BY LIMITED ACTION. 



Shoulder lameness is evident by limited action of the entire shoulder. 

 The animal seems anxious to keep stationary, and in bringing the leg 

 forward does so by an outward swinging motion. The horse that is 

 kne^lame aims to keep the knee as stifT as possible, and in moving 

 the leg forward bring the shoulder muscles into play. The leg is ad- 

 vanced in a dragging manner, the tot^ is hardly leaving the ground and 

 the leg is bent as little as possible. 



JERKY ACTION IS MANIFEST IN FETLOCK LAMENESS. 



Fetlock lameness is manifested by a short, jerky step, the animal step- 

 ping on the toe or often hopping on three legs. Lameness caused by 

 sore or enlarged tendons is similar to shoulder lameness, and is best 

 examined with the animal at rest, as then the swelling, heat or pain is 

 generally detected along the course of these parts. 



GREAT CARE IN EXAMINING FOR FOOT LAMENESS. 



It is more difficult to diagnose foot lameness. The best thing is to 

 pick up the foot and tap it lightly with a hammer and notice the flinch- 

 ing when the sore spot is touched. If the animal is nervous, it will 

 require great care to distinguish between the actual pain and the nerv- 

 ousness. 



HOPPING MOTION IS SEEN IN HIP LAMENESS. 



Hip limeness is known by a peculiar hopping gait. The animal, 

 while trotting, turns the hock of the lame leg in and stifle out. 



DRAGGING MOTION IN STIFLE LAMENESS. 



Stifle limeness shows itself by the difficulty the animal experiences 

 in elevating this part and bringing it forward, which is usually done in a 

 dragging fashion. The stifled animal either has the lame leg stretched 

 out behind or stands firmly on the sole. In the first case he cannot 

 back, and in the latter he cannot move the lame leg forward. 



There are so many phases of lameness and so much difiference in 

 horses about withstanding injury and pain, or yielding to the slightest 

 infliction, that it makes the subject of the examination for lameness a 

 most difficult task to meet all c.ises. There is so much ignorance, preju- 

 dice and egotism connected with the examination of the horse for lame- 

 ness that the following is given as an offset, and to somewhat relieve the 

 mind of the reader: 



