25^ THE HORSE. 



RUPTURE OP THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT. 



The suspensory ligament is sometimes ruptured by extraordinary exertion. 

 The sessamoids are then let down, and the fetlock almost touches the 

 ground. This is generally mistaken for rupture of the flexor tendon ; but 

 one circumstance will sufficiently demonstrate that it is the suspensory liga- 

 ment which is concerned, viz. that the horse is able to bend his foot. Rup- 

 ture of this ligament is a bad, and almost desperate case. The horse is fre- 

 quently lame for life, and never becomes perfectly sound. Keeping him 

 altogether quiet, bandaging the leg, and putting on a high-heeled shoe, will 

 afford the most probable means of relief. 



THE FETLOCK. 



The fetlock-joint is a very complicated one, and from the stress which is 

 laid on it, and its being the principal seat of motion below the knee, it is 

 particularly subject to injury. There are not many cases of sprain of the 

 back-sinew which are not accompanied by inflammation of the Hgaments of 

 this joint ; and many supposed cases of sprain higher up are simple affec- 

 tions of the fetlock. It requires a great deal of care, and some expe- 

 rience, to distinguish the one from the other. The heat about the part, 

 and the point at which the horse least endures the pressure of the finger, 

 will be the principal guides. An affection of the fetlock -joint demands 

 blistering more promptly and severely than one of the sheaths of the 

 tendons. 



GROGGINESS. 



The peculiar knuckling over of the fetlock -joint, and tottering of the whole 

 of the fore-leg, known by the name of groggi?iess, and which is so often 

 seen in old and over-worked horses, is seldom an affection of either the 

 fetlock or the pastern-joints simply, although these have their full share in 

 the mischief that has been produced by tasking the poor animal beyond 

 his strength. Sometimes it is difficult to fix on any particular joint ; at 

 others, it seems to be traced to a joint deep in the foot, where the flexor ten- 

 don runs over the navicular bone. It seems oftenest to be a want of power 

 in the ligaments of the joints generally, produced by frequent and severe 

 sprains, or by ill-judged and cruel exertion ; and, in the majority of 

 cases, admits of no remedy ; especially as dissection often discovers ulcera- 

 tion within the joints, and of the membrane which lines the cartilage, and 

 even of the cartilage itself, which it was impossible to reach or to remove. 



CUTTING. 



The inside of the fetlock is often bruised by the shoe or the hoof of the 

 opposite foot. Many expedients have been tried to remove this ; the inside 

 heel has been raised and lowered, and the outside raised and lowered ; 

 and sometimes one operation has succeeded, and sometimes the contrary ; 

 and there w^as no point so involved in obscurity, or so destitute of principles 

 to guide the practitioner. The most successful remedy, and that which in the 

 great majority of cases supersedes all others, is to put on a shoe, of even 

 thickness from heel to toe ; to let the bearing be perfectly level ; and then to 

 drive but one nail, and that near the toe, in the inside of the shoe, which 

 is placed on the foot by which the injury is done ; care being taken that the 



