124 avery's own farrier. 



sprung knees and string halt. 



The first of these is caused by straining, hard driving 

 down hill, &c., leaving weak joints, and causing con- 

 traction of the fore arm that draws up the cords and ren- 

 ders them useless to the support of the joint. Now it is 

 useless to think of doctoring the cords for this complaint, 

 for this reason: it is impossible to relax a cord, but by 

 relaxing the muscles, it will drop the cord and relieve the 

 limb. 



String Halt is caused by overdoing, exposure to wet 

 and cold, or long standing without exercise. It is a con- 

 traction of the muscles, the same as the former, only it 

 is confined to the hind legs. It consists of an involun- 

 tary use or false action of a muscle, which overacts, jerk- 

 ing one of the legs almost up to the belly, and sometimes 

 both in their turn, instead of moving gracefully and na- 

 tural. Although this seldom injures the horse to any 

 great extent for service, it is very unpleasant to the eye; 

 and being of the same nature as the former, they both 

 require the same mode of treatment. A horse troubled 

 with string halt is not so bad in warm weather as he is 

 in cold, for then the muscles are more relaxed. Anything 

 that will relax these muscles will give momentary relief, 

 if it does no more. I have seen an evident improvement 

 for the time being made by merely bathing the limbs in 

 hot water. 



Cure. — Bathe the limbs from the knees or gambrels 

 up to the body well with a strong decoction of tobacco, 

 every day (until relief is found), and an hour or two 

 after rub on with tire hand over these muscles either of 

 the following oils, with a very little spirits of turpentine 



