THE HORSE 



79 



It is possible that an insufficient supply of bed- 

 ding may sometimes lead indirectly to capped 

 hocks, especially if an ani- 

 mal is startled into rising 

 hurriedly when lying down. 



Splints 



(See Fig. 27.) To turn to 

 the fore legs, Ave will deal 

 first with the nature and 

 cause of splint, which is 

 possibly the commonest ab- 

 normal structure to be found 

 on a horse's legs, but which 

 only under certain circum- 

 stances, to be exactly deter- 

 mined hereafter, constitutes 

 an unsoundness. 



The splint bones are two 

 rudimentary, or rather ves- 

 tigiar}^, cannon bones situ- Fig. 27.— Diagram of the 

 ated on either side of the geg!' ^'"^ °' ^" ^°™ 



cannon bone proper, on both l, cannon bone; 2, splintbone; 

 J, 1 1 • 1 1 rm 3, its button-like termination; 



tore and hmd leg's. Iney 4, position of spiiuts; 5, sus- 



~ '^ peiisory ligament; 6, seat of 



are of interest, as already side-bones. 



hinted, as affording evidence that the horse is de- 



