30 THE FAR3IER'S 



Cure — Blistering at the coronet and fetlock re- 

 peatedly will reduce the inflammation w-llun. A 

 poultice covering the whole foot al^o tends to the 

 same effect, which will be furLiier assisted by par- 

 ing the sole, if it be not already too thin: reduce 

 the frog also, and do the same for the correspond- 

 ing foot. 



Strain of the Shoulder 



Horses that are weak before, and low footed, 

 with an unsteady tread, are most liable to contract 

 this disorder, which consists in a twist or sprain 

 of the strong muscles that attach the shoulder to 

 the body. 



Taking up the foot and bending the limb will 

 further prove the existen(?e of strain in the shoul- 

 der, if the animal evince pain; whereas, if it lie 

 in the foot, and not in the shoulder, the lame leg 

 can be moved as supple as the sound one. The 

 difficulty of ascertaining the real seat of lameness 

 is sometimes so very great, being entirely invisi- 

 ble, as to put us upon all sorts of expedients to 

 find out the real seat of the disorder. For this 

 purpose, hold up his head high, and after compar- 

 ing and finding no difference in the shape of 

 his two shoulders, let go the head, when he will be 

 observed to flinch upon bringing it towards the af^ 

 fected side. Let a person rattle some corn in a 

 sieve at a distance behind, now on this side, now 

 on that, and he will be observed to evince pain at 

 turning the (leck so as to strain the affected side; 

 not so if the pain be in tlie foot, of course. As 

 the horse will step short, and also throw out his 

 leg somewhat in a semicircle, when he has receiv- 

 ed a prick in sho^ng, this latter sign is not to be 



