TREATMENT OF SORE SHINS. 35 



least touch. Fugitive, when six years old, after running in 

 deep ground at Egham, returned home with his shins very- 

 sore, having lost his action ; indeed it may fairly be said 

 he could not move. He was given up for a few weeks 

 and treated as before recommended, which soon had the 

 desired effect of removing the soreness and restoring his 

 action. This is the only instance I ever remember of one so 

 old being so affected by it in the fore-legs. I never re- 

 member an old horse suffering behind from it, although it is 

 not uncommon for young horses to have all four shins sore 

 at the same time. 



We have seen there are instances of horses having sore 

 shins from running in deep ground, yet it is generally caused 

 by galloping on hard ground, over which, when thus affected, 

 some animals can seldom if ever move. But no danger need be 

 apprehended from the most obstinate cases. They may leave 

 a protuberance when the soreness is departed, which becomes 

 ossified, but in no way interferes with the action or general 

 usefulness, presenting only an eyesore. This fact leads me to 

 comment on Mr. Copperthwaite's expressed opinion in his 

 work entitled " The Turf and Stud Farm," in which he says 



" he has known horses while in training and racing to be shin- 

 sore, and their owners and trainers did not dream of it, and 

 has known yearlings to be rendered totally useless and never 

 to recover their action through this complaint ; and little 

 wonder it was so, for the parties who had charge of them 

 (some of them their owners) could have expected nothing else, 

 taking into consideration that they were, in the month of July, 

 on the hard ground for hours (and cantering about) carrying 

 big men, their legs being Httle more than gristle." 



For my part I certainly have known some thousands of 

 horses of all ages, and never saw one permanently hurt from 



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