L^iMENESS IN THE FORE LEG. 29 



that of the supporting leg. The former alludes to diseased 

 conditions of muscles mainly, the latter of bones, tendons, 

 ligaments and the hoof. Diseases of joints, tendon sheaths 

 and periosteum cause a mixed lameness, that is a 

 combination of the above. Swinging-leg lameness refers to 

 those lamenesses characterized by an imperfect forward 

 stride, whereas supporting-leg lameness shows itself when 

 the leg supports the weight of the body. 



In quadrupeds one step consists of the distance between 

 the foot-prints made by one and the same leg. The step of 

 the horse, therefore, may be divided into two halves. The 

 first half is in back of, or posterior to ; the second half in 

 front of, or anterior to, the foot-prinfc of the opposite leg. 

 Thus the normal step may be said to show two equal halves, 

 as the distance of the foot-prints of one leg is equally 

 divided by the other, the opposite leg. 



Lameness does not alter the length of the stride, since 

 the lame leg has to cover the same distance as the sound 

 one ; hence it must take an equall}' lo"o step. But lameness 

 causes a shortening of either the posterior or anterior half 

 of the step. In swinging-leg lameness the lame limb does 

 not advance in the regular manner, and does not step the 

 the fall distance beyond the foot-print of the sound leg. 

 For this reason the second or anterior half of the step taken 

 by the lame leg appears shortened. The reverse is true of 

 supporting-leg lameness. Here the lame leg is advanced 

 properly, but putting weight upon the lame leg is painful, 

 inducing the animal not only to step shorter with the sound 

 leg, but also to place it quicker to the ground. As a 

 consequence, the posterior half of the lame leg's step is 

 necessarily shortened. In order to see this, the lame animal 

 is led by the observer at a distance of three or four yards, 



