151 

 SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR. 



The muscle which raises and advances the limb is the 

 most common of shoulder lameness. It results in truck 

 horses, from unequal weight thrown upon one shoulder. In 

 road horses, in trying to extricate the limb in heavy ground, 

 &c., and also from short or sudden turns by awkward 

 drivers. 



Treatment. — In bad cases sling the animal : in all cases 

 tie the animal up by the head so as to prevent the lying 

 down and rising up, which first relaxes and then stretches 

 the injured parts. Fold a horse-cloth several times round 

 the breast, secured there with strap or girths, and pour hot 

 water continually on the parts, and also apply the remedy 

 already mentioned. 



SHOULDER SLIP. 



The muscles investing the shoulder blade occasionally 

 become strained, an accident quite common in hilly coun- 

 tries, and also from double ploughing and awkward step- 

 ping: and lastly, the same thing happens to young carriage 

 horses that w^ork too freely. The muscles usually affected 

 are the antea and postea spinati, teres, and subscapularis. 

 Tenderness, slight swelling and lameness are perceptible, and 

 after some time there may be atrophy of the muscles. 



The same remedies may be used to advantage. 



SHOULDER JOINT LAMENESS. 



Cause. — The most serious form of shoulder joint lame- 

 ness consists in a softening of the articular cartilage of that 

 joint. In this case there is inflammation of the synovial 

 membrane, and excessive secretion of unhealthy synovia, 

 which produces bulging of the capsular ligament, which may 

 be detected by pressure. 



