22 



CHAPTER IV. 



Sprains. 



general remarks on sprains sprain of the suspensory ligament 



sprain of the back tendons and check ligament sprain of 



the fetlock joint sprain of the inferior sesamoid ligaments 



treatment of sprains below knee and hock filled legs — ■ 



curb sprung hock sprain of the shoulder sprains of the 



elbow and hip sprained back legal aspect of sprain. 



General Remarks on Sprains. 



DEFINITION OF SPRAIN.— A sprain is an injury to ligament, 

 tendon, joint, or muscle, caused by an excessive pull or twist, or by 

 the repeated application of such injurious force, wdth the result that 

 the fibres of the part are more or less broken, over-stretched, or torn 

 away from the bones or other structures to w^hich they were 

 attached. 



The study of sprains is very important; for they probably com 

 stitute nine-tenths of the injuries which unfit saddle-horses for work. 



STRUCTURES LIABLE TO SPRAIN.— The ligaments which are specially 

 expo:^:ed to this accident, are composed of strong, inelastic tissue ; their office 

 being to bind together various structures. Thus, in the knee there are two 

 lateral ligaments, which are fixed, one on each side of the joint, to the ends of 

 the bones, immediately above and below it, so as to prevent it from having 

 side play. Capsular ligaments cover the joints and protect them from injury. 

 The suspensory ligament ^Figs. 5 and 6) aids in preventing the fetlock 

 from coming down on the ground when the horse puts weight on the foot. 

 Tendons (sinews) are composed of the same kind of material as the ligaments 

 just mentioned, and f-erve the part of strong inelastic cords to connect muscles 

 to bones. A tendon, at one end, is spliced on to its muscle ; and at the other 

 end, is attached to the surface of the bone. Muscles, which compose the lean 

 of meat, give rise to the movements of the body by their power of contraction. 

 Thus, before the foot can be raised — speaking in general terms— the muscles 

 which are connected at one end to the bone of the leg, just above and at the 

 back of the elbow, and at the other end to the back tendons, will have to 

 contract on being stimulated by their nerves, so that the foot, which is 

 attached to the lower end of the back tendons, gets forcibly pulled up. When 

 the stimulus ceases to act, the muscles relax, and the foot again conies to the 

 ground. 



