348 STABLE ECONOMY. 



The true breaking down is a rupture of the back tendons, 

 or of a ligament which assists them in supporting the fetlock- 

 joint. The rupture occurs suddenly, and generally when 

 the horse is at full speed, or leaping down hill. The hind 

 legs are not, so far as I know, liable to this accident, and it 

 rarely occurs in both of the fore ones. The horse stops in- 

 stantly, or he falls. On rising, it is seen that he stands on 

 his fetlocks ; they sink to the ground, the toe of the foot is 

 turned up, and the sole looking forward. When only one 

 leg suffers, the horse may possibly recover to do some kind 

 of work, but he will hunt no more. He should be led slowly 

 home. Sometimes only one branch of the ligament gives 

 way. In that case the fetlock does not wholly come to the 

 ground, and the horse may become as useful as ever. When 

 both fetlocks come down the horse is ruined. 



Broken Leg. — On the road, or on the street, a horse some- 

 times falls, makes several violent efforts to rise, and then 

 lies still. Upon examination a fracture is found in one of his 

 legs, generally a fore leg. There is something about this 

 accident which I do not understand. It is far from being 

 rare. In all the cases which have come under my own obser- 

 vation, the rider or driver could only tell that the horse fell, 

 and could not rise, or that he made several efforts to keep his 

 feet before he went fairly down. He never knows whether 

 the leg is broken in the fall, after the fall, or in trying to 

 avoid it. It may be that the leg is sometimes broken by a 

 blow from the opposite foot. In different horses I have seen 

 the pastern, the shank, and the fore-arm, broken, but it is 

 oftenest the shank, between the knee and the fetlock. 



It is a common opinion that a horse's bones, once broken, 

 never unite. This is a standard error. A man who talks of 

 curing fracture in a horse is pretty sure of a rebuke or a 

 sneer. But, in truth, a broken bone unites as fast and firmly 

 in horses as in men. The attempt to cure is seldom made, 

 because the horse is rarely worth the cost. He may, after 

 all, remain permanently stiff or lame, and fit only for particu- 

 lar kinds of work, for which he will not bring as much money 

 as will pay the keep and treatment. A stallion, a brood-mare, 

 and a favorite, are almost the only horses upon whom an at- 

 tempt is made to produce a cure, and for the sake of these it 

 is well to know that a cure is often possible. 



Staking. — In leaping fences and gates, a stake sometimes 

 wounds the belly. The slightest examination with the eye 

 and the finger discovers the depth of the wound. When not 



