378 



month, and tlie application of cold donclies and cold water bandages, 

 firmly applied nutil the fever has subsided, when a cantharides blis- 

 ter should be put on and repeated in two or three weeks' time, if 

 necessary. When rupture has taken place the patient should be 

 ljut in slings, and a constant stream of cold water allo\ved to trickle 

 over the seat of injur}^ until tlie fever is reduced. In the course of a 

 week or ten days' time a plaster of paris splint, such as is used in frac- 

 tures, is to be applied and left on for a month or six weeks. When 

 this is taken off blisters may be used to remove the remaining sore- 

 ness; but it is useless to expect a removal of all the thickening, for in 

 the process of repair new tissue has been formed which will always 

 remain. 



In old cases of sprain tlie firing iron may often be used with good 

 results. As a rule, severe injuries to the suspensory ligament inca- 

 jjacitato tlie subject for anything but slow, light work. 



OVERREACH. 



An overreach is where the shoe of the hind foot strikes and injures 

 the heel or quarter of the fore foot. It rarely happens except when 

 the animal is going fast, hence is most common in trotting and run- 

 ning horses. In trotters the accident generally happens when the 

 animal breaks from a trot to a run. The outside heels and quarters 

 are most liable to the injur}^ 



Symptoms. — The coronet at the heel or quarter is bruised or cut, the 

 injuiy in some instances involving the horn as well. Where the hind 

 foot strikes well back on tlie heel of the fore foot — an accident known 

 among horsemen as "grabbing" — the shoe may be torn from the 

 fore foot or the animal may fall to his knees. Horses accustomed to 

 overreaching are often "bad l)reakers," for the reason that the pain 

 of the injury so excites them tliat tliey can not readily be brought back 

 to the trotting gait. 



Treatmenf. — If the injury is but a slight bruise cold water bandages 

 applied for a few days will remove all of the soreness. If the parts 

 are deeply cut more or less suppuration will follow, and, as a rule, it 

 is well to poultice the parts for a da}^ or two, after which cold baths 

 may be used, or the Avounds dressed with tincture of aloes, oakum, 

 and a roller bandage. 



When an animal is known to be subject to overreaching he should 

 nevfer be driven fast without quarter-boots, which are specially made 

 for the i)rotcction of the heels and quarters. 



If tliere is a disposition to "grab "the forward shoes the trouble 

 may be remedied by having the heels of these shoes made as short as 

 possible, while the toe of the hind foot should project well over the 

 hind shoo. When circumstances will permit of their use, the fore feet 

 may be shod witli the tii)S instead of the common shoe, as described 

 in llio treatment for contracted heels. 



