SPLINTS. . 239 



liable to occur while tliis ligament exists in its entirety, than 

 when, with advancing years, it has become converted, more or 

 less, into bone. As bones in youth are more full of blood than 

 at a more advanced age, when the elements of nutrition are 

 supplied to them by the blood-vessels in a decreased amount; 

 we may conclude that the younger the horse, the greater proba- 

 bility there is of his becoming lame from a splint. Besides, young 

 ones being more awkward, are more liable to " hit " themselves, 

 than are older animals. Old age and a long rest often cause, 

 as may be seen among stud animals, the almost entire absorption 

 of large splints. 



HEREDITY. — The influence of hereditary predisposition is well 

 marked. Also, the conformation of the legs induces liability to 

 this disease, especially, when the animal is heavily " topped.'' 



GRAVITY OF SPLINT ACCORDING AS IT IS ON THE IN- 

 SIDE OR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FORE LEG.— A splint 

 on the outside of a fore leg, is generally more serious than one on 

 the inside, especially, if it be well forward, and high up; for it 

 will then be apt to interfere with the extensor tendon of the long 

 pastern bone, which tendon is on the outside of the knee, and 

 goes down the front of the cannon bone (Fig. 7, p. 33). 



SPLINTS ON THE HIND LEGS.— In a hind leg, a sphnt (Fig. 96) may 

 occur on the inside of the leg, from the downward pressure of the small cunei- 

 form bone on the top of the small splint bone. 



PROBABILITY OF RECOVERY.— As a rule, rest and time re- 

 moves the lameness and greatly reduces the size of even very large 

 splints. At the same time, I would not hold out much hope for the 

 permanent recovery of an aged horse which had been lame for a 

 considerable period, or on repeated occasions, from a splint close 

 to the knee, or from splints that involved the two splint bones of 

 a fore leg, and (like those in Fig. 82) caused considerable enlarge- 

 ment through the entire extent of these bones. 



SYMPTOMS.— "A splint is detected by grasping with the hand 

 the horse's suspected leg in the ordinary manner in which we feel 

 the leg, and tracing, with the fingers upon one side and the thumb 

 upon the other, the inner and outer splint bones from their heads 

 downwards to their tapering extremities. Any actual exostosis 

 will at once arrest the hand; any rising or irregularity will create 

 suspicion and lead to closer examination" {Percivall). Horses, 

 especially young ones which have lately been put to work, not 

 unfrequently become lame from splint before any swelling appears 



