226 THE HORSE 



to tell, especially if it is unaccompanied by any swelling. 

 Certainly lameness and pain, when the fetlock is manipu- 

 lated, is of some value in assisting one to form an opinion. 

 There are two bones at the back of the fetlock ; either 

 or both of these may be broken, but this is an uncommon 

 injury. A broken rib or ribs, unless accompanied by an 

 external wound, is not of much significance, as these 

 structures contain a large amount of spongy bone, and 

 are in a fairly favourable situation for repair to occur. 

 A piece of pitch plaster over the seat of the injury is 

 usually sufficient to keep the injured part at rest. 



Probably the reader will think that fractured bone, 

 say in a foal, is capable of exerting a greater degree of 

 reparative power than an adult animal. To a certain 

 extent this is true, but not sufficiently so to warrant one 

 to treat fractures in foals. Sometimes a mare will kick 

 her foal and break its leg. The owner may be anxious 

 to preserve the life of the foal. It is seldom, however, 

 that any good results from surgical means. The usual 

 signs of fracture are sudden lameness, with inability to 

 place weight on the injured limb, pain on manipulation, 

 increased heat, swelling, and crepitus or a grating together 

 of the broken ends of the bone, any of which may be 

 absent. Most fractures are accompanied by displacement, 

 but in certain instances they are not, or at any rate at 

 the time of the injury. When displacement does not occur 

 at the time, it is spoken of as a " deferred fracture." The 

 bones of the pelvis are occasionally broken, but usually 

 the injury is difficult of detection. Under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances it takes from six to eight weeks for the union 

 of a fractured bone to become complete. When a bone 

 is dislocated the limb is rendered useless. Dislocation of 

 the patella, or knee-cap, which is situated at the stifle 

 joint, is practically the only form of dislocation that 

 occurs in the horse, and when it does take place it is 

 commonly in a foal or a colt, although there are excep- 

 tions. The chief sjonptom of this injury is inability to 



