252 VETERINARY SURGICAL THERAPEUTICS. 
ciently in abduction to have no connection with the olecranon. It seems 
that a special conformation of the knee, reducing abduction, must be 
necessary to bring on this contact with the elbow. Perhaps, also, as Bouley 
says, the relative lengths of the forearm and canon have an influence upon 
the relations of those parts. What is certain is, that: most of the horses 
lie cow-fashion, and that 
capped elbow occurs only 
on predisposed animals. 
The best way to prevent 
it would be to tie up the 
animal short enough to pre- 
vent its lying down; but 
this could not be done 
long. Sometimes by plac- 
ing the animal in a box-stall 
ortying it sufficiently long 
sothat it will not assume 
the sterno-costal, but the 
lateral decubitus, young 
animals may be taught by 
punishment not to assume 
this position. Often the 
capped elbow is produced 
by ashoe which is too long ; 
shortening the branches, 
especially the internal, bev- 
eling them, and indenting 
them in the hoof may pre- 
vent the trouble and cure 
recent lesions. The cres- 
cent shoe is advantage. 
ous. (Fig. 57.) 
A well-shod horse whose 
hoof only rests on the olecranon may nevertheless become affected with 
hygromas. The contact then must be relieved by applications on 
the foot of pads, bags of bran or india-rubber air-cushions (Bouley). 
A thick roll applied above the knee on the canon, the coronet or the 
heels may do well: during the flexion of the leg it presses against 
the thorax and forces abduction; it also keeps the metatarsal and 
the forearm apart. Zundel advises placing on the back of the knee 
in the direction of the leg a stiff. roll of straw secured above and 
below on the lower part of the forearm and the superior portion of the 
Fig. 57.—Shoe-Boil. 
