THE HORSE. 



animal, already sufficiently tortured, much unnecessary and useless pain, 

 and should never be resorted to by him who possesses the slightest feeling- 

 of humanity. 



In examining a horse for purchase, the closest attention should be 

 paid to the appearance of these flexor tendons. If there be any thickness 

 of cellular substance around them, that horse has been sprained violently, 

 or the sprain has not been properly treated. This thickening will probably 

 fetter the motion of the tendon, and dispose the part to the recurrence of 

 inflammation and lameness. Such a horse, although at the time perfectly 

 free from lameness, will be regarded with suspicion, and cannot fairly be 

 considered as sound. He is only patched up for a while, and will pro- 

 bably fail at the close of the first day's hard work. 



WIND-GALLS. 



Approaching nearer to the fetlock, we occasionally find considerable en- 

 largements, oftener on the hind leg than the fore one, which are denomi- 

 nated wind-galls (e, p. 255). Between the tendons and other parts, and wher- 

 ever the tendons are exposed to pressure or friction, and particularly about 

 their extremities, little bags or sacs are placed, containing and suf- 

 fering to ooze slowly from them a mucous fluid. From undue 

 pressure, ai|jj^ that most frequently caused by violent action and straining 

 of the tendons, these little bags become injured ; they take on inflammation, 

 and they grow large and hard. The tendons are mostly inserted into the 

 neighbourhood of joints, and there is most motion and pressure, and con- 

 sequently these enlarged mucous bags {bursce jmicoscB) are oftenest found, 

 about the joints. There are few horses perfectly free from them. When they 

 first appear, and until the inflammation subsides, they may be accompanied 

 by some degree of lameness ; but otherwise, except when they attain an 

 enormous size, they do not interfere with the action of the animal, or cause 

 unsoundness. The farriers used to suppose that they contained wind — 

 hence their name, wind-galls ; and hence the practice of opening them, by 

 which dreadful inflammation has often been produced, and many a valuable 

 horse destroyed. 



A slight wind-gall will scarcely be subjected to treatment ; but if these 

 tumours are numerous and large, and seem to impede the motion of the 

 limb, they may be attacked first by bandage. The roller should be of flannel, 

 and soft pads should be placed on each of the enlargements, and bound 

 down tightly upon them. The bandage may be wetted with the lotion re- 

 commended for sprain of the back-sinews. The wind-gall will often diminish 

 or disappear by this treatment, but will too frequently return when the 

 horse is again hardly worked. A blister is a more effectual remedy ; and 

 firing still more certain, if the tumours be sufficiently large and annoying 

 to justify our having recourse to measures so severe. In bad cases the 

 cautery is the only cure, for it will not only effect the immediate absorption 

 of the fluid, and the reduction of the swelling, but, by contracting the skin, 

 will act as a permanent bandage, and therefore prevent the reappearance of 

 the tumour. 



THE PASTERNS. 



At the back of the shank just below the knee, and in the space between 

 the two splint-bones, are found two extraordinary and important ligaments, 

 extraordinary as being elastic, and important ug being admirably adapted 



