50 LAMENESS OP THE HORSE 



ately free rein. A close grasp on the lead may interfere some- 

 what with head movements. Nodding of the head with the catch- 

 ing up of weight hy a sound member in supporting-leg-lameness 

 of a fore leg, constitutes the chief symptom considered in de- 

 tecting the lame leg. 



Where supporting-leg-lameness affects a hind limb the head 

 is raised at the time weight is caught by the sound member — 

 here the long axis of the subject's body may be likened unto 

 a lever of the first class. The posterior part of the body, at iho 

 time weight is taken upon the sound leg, is as the long arm : the 

 fore limbs the fulcrum, and the subject's head the weight, which 

 is lifted. The head movements of a horse at a trot, in support- 

 ing-leg-lameness of a front leg, synchronize with the discharge of 

 weight from a lame leg to the opposite one if sound ; but in 

 pelvic limb affections, the head is thrown or jerked upward as 

 weight is caught by the sound member, — this peculiar nodding 

 movement is opposite in the two instances. 



In pacing horses, since front and liind legs of the same side 

 are advanced at the same time, there occurs in supporting-leg- 

 lameness, a nodding of the head with discharge of weight from 

 the lame leg, and a dropping of the hip as weight is caught by 

 the sound pelvic member. In observing animals that are limp- 

 ing, (as in supporting-leg-lameness) one notices particularly the 

 sacro-iliac region in hind leg affections and the occipital region 

 in lameness of the front legs. 



Where there exists a bilateral affection, (such as characterizes 

 some cases of navicular disease or other affections causing sup- 

 porting-leg-lameness) there occurs no nodding of the head; 

 weight is supported for an equal length of time upon each one 

 of the two legs, but the stride^ is shortened. The gait, in such 

 cases, is peculiar, animals appearing stiff' and they are said, by 

 horsemen, to have a "choppy" gait. 



It i? desirable, in some cases, to cause an animal to move from 

 side to side; in other instances the subject is best made to walk 

 or trot in a circle, and if the circle be very small the animal 

 then particularly employs the inner fore leg as a pivotal sup- 



^By .stiide i.s mefuit the distance l)etween two successive imi>rints of tlie 

 same foot. The term is not used in this work as being synonymous with 

 step. 



