LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. R35 
owing to the spread of ossification; that is, the coffin bune and 
pastern bone become united together by bony growth. Ring- 
bones are the result of hereditary predisposition, structural organi- 
zation, and accident. As to hereditary predisposition, there is no 
doubt but that some sires, the subjects of spavin, ring-bone, and 
other forms of exostosis, father foals which often, sooner or later, 
toemselves become victims of the same disease. The same law 
applies to dams. Breeders of horses are fully aware of this fact, 
and are, therefore, more careful than formerly in the selection of 
parents for the purposes of breeding from. As to form, many 
living cases which now exist prove the truth of the statement that 
low-bred, coarse-limbed horses, with short, upright pasterns, are 
frequently subjects of ring-bone. Why such should be the case 
with animals with upright pasterns is easily explained, as follows: 
The pastern bones in a well-formed limb ought to form an oblique 
angle with the cannon-bone (metacarpus) placed above them; 
whereas, if the pastern is upright, the column of bones from the 
elbow-joint to the foot is, necessarily, placed in one and the same 
straight line, causing, at every step made by the animal during 
progression, a severe concussive shock to be produced on the whole 
column of bones, but more especially on the pastern bones, owing 
to the superincumbent weight of the bones above them. Thus one 
or more of the pastern-bones become injured and inflamed, and, 
finally, as a consequence, exostosis ensues, the coronet becomes in- 
volved, and the disease denominated ring-bone is set up.” 
Mr. PERCIVALL quotes from Gibson: “When a well-formed, 
high-bred horse happens to have a ring-bone, we may conclude it 
to proceed from some accident rather than from any natural fault. 
The disease may also be produced by a blow to the part, and from 
the efforts made to increase speed, when concussion causes injury, 
inflammation, and consequent exostosis to the bones of the pastern, 
As to treatment, we should recommend the proprietors of young 
horses, subject to ring-bones, to place their horses in a state of 
aature, by removing the shoes from their feet, and by turning out 
to grass. If this, after a fair trial, fail, then the treatment for 
epavin and other exostosis must be resorted to, such as blistering 
the affected part and keeping the animal on a low diet. No dis- 
usse is more troublesome to treat, or more demands the strict at- 
evtion of a skillful veterinarian.” 
Causes.—The exciting causes of ring-bone are ligamentary 
