THE HORSE—THE EXTREMITIES. 157 
First shave off the hair, and then smear this preparation thickly over 
the swelling with a thin, broad knife, or a flat piece of wood. While 
using this preparation, keep the head tied up for twenty-four hours. Do 
not clean the hock or remove the scurf which will appear in two or three 
days after the application is made. In from two to three weeks the same 
dressing may be made, a third usually not being required. 
CURB. 
Curb is an enlargement at the back part of the hock, three or four 
inches below the point, resulting from a sprain of the ligaments connecting 
the bone which forms the point of the joint with the larger bones below. 
A fluid is effused: into the tissue, and depositions of bone are sometimes. 
formed. Horses are called “cow-hocked” when the ligament is kept 
constantly stretched, thus making curb more liable to occur. It is rare in 
old horses, usually occurring between breaking and the eighth year. The 
main causes are galloping in heavy ground; leaping; ordinary work-horses. 
predisposed to it from birth; running over hills. 
Sympioms.—Soft, hot, tender swelling on the back and upper part of 
the shank-bone, which soon becomes hard and difficult of treatment; lame- 
ness. The head of the smaller bone of the shank is in some horses nor- 
mally large, but the enlargement is hard and bony all the time, being thus 
easily distinguished from curb, in which the swelling is more or less elastic. 
TREATMENT.—Raise the heel of the shoe to rest the ligaments. Give 
rhus internally three times a day, and apply rhus-lotion externally by pressure. 
To secure pressure on the hock, make a case of strong cloth to fit the joint, 
cutting a hole to fit the top of the bone forming 
the point of the hock which will sustain the 
case, lacing the front part together by tapes on 
each side; about two inches from the edge of 
the opening made for the point of the hock 
make a slit of proper length to admit the full 
width of the bandage with which the pressure 
is to be secured. This case is only to prevent ,. Ppa Rus: 
the bandage from slipping down from the joint. FOR Cus. 
Take the bandage (chamois-skin is the best, as it retains moisture longer 
than flannel) and the case, slip one end of the bandage through one of the 
slits, passing it from the zzside of the case outward, then from the outside 
izxward through the opening at the hock-point, and finally ow¢ward through 
the second side slip. Draw the bandage through so as to bring the other 
end inside, near the first side-opening, make the end fast there, put on the 
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