MOVEMENTS OF THE HEAD. 5 



easily discernible manner than do the hind ones. It not nn- 

 freqnently happens that an inexperienced observer imao^ines that a 

 horse which is lame behind, is lame in front ; but he would not fall 

 into this mistake, if he compared the respective action of both 

 pairs of limbs. The slow trot as a rule is a much better pace at 

 which to observe lameness than the fast trot, because the slower 

 the paee, the more time we have to note any difference of gait. 

 Also, the faster the trot, the more inclined is it to depart from 

 its normal two time. In fact, if we refer to the admirable photo- 

 graphic reproductions in Muybridge's " Animals in Motion," we 

 shall see that the fast trot is sometimes a pace of four time. 



MOVEMENTS OF THE HEAD IN LAMENESS.— When a lame 

 horse is in movement, he uses (if he is at liberty to do so) his head 

 and neck as a balancing pole to relieve the unsound limb of weight 

 as far as possible. Thus, if he is lame in front, he will raise his 

 head when the lame leg comes down, and will bring it more or 

 less into its natural position, when the sound fore leg touches the 

 ground. If he is lame on a hind leg, he will lower his head, when 

 the opposite fore leg comes down. For instance, if the near hind 

 be affected, he will lower his head when the off fore comes down. 



DETECTION OF LAMENESS DURING MOVEMENT.— Lame- 

 ness must be very acute for a horse to show it in the walk. 

 When taken at the trot, the animal should be led in a halter or 

 snaffle bridle with plenty of rein, so that the man who leads him 

 may not interfere with the movements of his head. The most 

 misleading kind of interference in this respect, is making the horse 

 incline his head and neck towards the man who leads him, the 

 result being that the animal will be prompted to put more weight 

 on the fore leg next to the man, than on its fellow. Immediately 

 on leaving the stable, the horse should be trotted for inspection on 

 hard ground, which should be free from stones and other in- 

 equalities. The observer should stand about thirty yards in front 

 of the horse and on the near side. He should note, as the animal 

 approaches, whether the horse " dwells " in the slightest on one 

 fore foot more than on the other, and whether he raises or depresses 

 his head more than usual. If the horse shows irregularity of gait 

 or of head movement, the observer may conclude that the abnormal 

 action is due to an attempt to relieve the lame leg of weight. 

 Here, also, we must allow for the effect of " cross lameness ; " and 

 we should try to find out at what period of the step (support, sus- 

 pension, or both) the lameness is manifested. 



If a horse is lame on both fore or both hind legs, he will go short 

 and stiff, and will try to take weight off the infirm pair of limbs by 



