110 THE HORSE. 



a curb, the part remains verj weak, so that sprains recur, 

 tiring should be resorted to. A curb, once it is callous, does not 

 detract from a horse's capacity for ordinary work in any way, 

 though its sale value is decreased by the fact of its being 

 affected with this unsoundness. 



CHAPTER XXIT. 



DISEASES OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 



L\ addition to the forms of unsoundness discussed in Chapter 

 XXL, the legs and feet of horses are subject to a variety of 

 other diseases and complaints, the more common ones of which 

 are included in the following litt : Splints, grease, cracked 

 heels, spi'ains, broken knees, windgalls, thorough-i^in, bog- 

 spavin, capped elbow, capped hock, dislocation of the patella, 

 lymphangitis, thrush, corns, contracted heels, sand-crack, false 

 quarter, acute laminitis, quittor, mud-fever, and stringhalt. 



Splints. — Splints are bony growths, or deposits, on the 

 cannon bone; as a rule, they are merely eye-sores, and do not 

 cause lameness, except in some cases, while the splin-t is being 

 formed. Sometimes, they produce more or less permanent 

 lameness, owing to their interfering with the play of the sus- 

 pensory ligament. Splints close to the knee also sometimes 

 cause lameness. A siDlint is produced, or " thrown out," as 

 the result of concussion on hard ground, or of a blow or knock. 

 Young horses are particularly liable to throw out splints ; fre- 

 quently, splints spontaneously decrease in size or disappear 

 almost wholly in the course of time through absorption. If 

 the splint causes no lameness, there is no reason to adopt treat- 

 nient. If it is wished to remove a splint, it may be rubbed 



