^STRAIN OF BA CK TENDONS 149 



the tendon and its sheath there is a mucous fluid, 

 which serves to prevent friction ; but when a horse 

 has been overworked, or subjected to any sudden 

 and violent effort in leaping, or galloping, etc., the 

 tendon may, pressing unduly on the delicate lining of 

 the sheath, cause inflammation to be set up ; this latter 

 condition causes the formation of a different fluid, 

 which, coagulating, causes adhesion between the 

 tendon and the sheath, and thereby causes pain when 

 the limb is moved. It may happen that the fibres 

 which serve to tie the tendon down become ruptured. 

 A slight injury of this description is termed 'strain of 

 the back sinews or tendons.' When the injury is 

 more than this the horse is said to have 'broken 

 down.' It may be as well at once explained that, since 

 the tendon is inelastic and incapable of extension, it 

 cannot be sprained, and even in what is termed a 

 ' break-down,' it is very rarely the case that either the 

 tendon or its sheath is ruptured. The injury is 

 generally confined to inflammation of the sheath, or 

 rupture of some of the attaching fibres ; but the in- 

 flammation of the part causes great pain, and conse- 

 quently considerable lameness. If the inflammation is 

 excessive I strongly recommend that the horse should 

 be bled at the toe. It is an old-fashioned remedy, 

 but by far the best and quickest. The operation is 

 thus performed : the sole of the foot having been well 

 trimmed, a groove must be cut with the rounded head 

 of a small drawing-knife at the junction of the sole 

 and crust. This will open the large vein at the toe ; 

 or the groove may be widened in a backward direction 

 until the vein is reached. When blood appears the 

 vein may be more fully opened by means of a small 



