POINTING-. 3 



down the hoof of its sound fellow, after removing the shoe, so as to 

 make the animal equally tender on both for© feet, when the shoe of 

 the sound foot has been replaced. The horse's ajDparent stiffness of 

 gait might then, if remarked upon, be accounted for by alleging 

 want of action, naturally cramped manner of going, &c. 



Leaving the copers to the prosecution of their nefarious trade, 

 we shall now consider the examination of the horse under the most 

 favourable circumstances. 



POINTING. — Our first step should be, if possible, to see the 

 animal in the stable when he is standing quietly, and is free from 

 all excitement. If sound, he will often rest on© hind leg by bending 

 its fetlock, while he keeps both fore legs firmly planted ; and, after 

 a time, will ease the other hind leg, w^hich, in its turn, will be re- 

 lieved by its fellow; and so on. Although under ordinary coFidi- 

 tions, one fore leg may be slightly advanced beyond the other; it 

 will not, unless when diseased, be relieved of its fair share of 

 weight; for the horse will normally stand, when on level ground, 

 with an equal bearing on both fore legs. A fatigued horse, though 

 sound, may, however, rest a near hind and an off fore, or an off 

 hind and a near fore, alternately. A horse lame in one fore leg, 

 usually stands with its pastern straighter than with that of the 

 sound one. 



A horse is said to " point " with a fore leg, if, while standing 

 still, he keeps it advanced beyond its fellow. He may thus rest 

 it with only the to© on the ground, Avith only the heel on the 

 ground, or with the foot brought flat down. If we find that a horse 

 points with one foot, while maintaining a position which indicates 

 that he prefers to stand in a constrained attitude rather than to 

 l^ut weight on it, we may reasonably suspect h© is lame on that 

 limb. As far as I am awai^e, the term " pointing " is used only 

 witii reference to the fore legs. 



As a general rule, when the disease is in the front of the foot, 

 the animal will be inclined to rest only his heel on the ground ; but 

 when it is near the back of the foot, he will often raise the heel. 

 The former attitude is that which is adopted in cases of acute 

 laminitis, and generally in those of painful ringbone ; the latter, 

 by horses suffering from confirmed navicular disease. In most 

 cases of pointing, when the disease is not in the foot, the horse 

 keeps the joints of the foot bent, and the heel consequently raised. 

 In very bad cases of lameness in the hind leg, the animal may keep 

 the foot off the ground (Fig. 101, p. 271). 



At the commencement of navicular disease, the horse sometimea 

 points by simply keeping the foot advanced, with the heel as well 

 as the toe on the ground ; but he soon begins to support the foot 



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