22 



CHAPTER IV. 

 Speains. 



OENBRAL REMARKS ON SPRACNS— SPEAIN OP THE gUSPBNSORT LIGA- 

 MENT SPRAIN OF THE BACK TENDONS AND CHECK LIGAMENT 



SPRAIN OP THE FETLOCK JOINT SPRAIN OP THE INFERIOR SESAMOID 



LIGAMENTS TREATMENT OP SPRAINS BELOW 'kNBE AND HOCK 



PILLED LEGS— CURB— SPRUNG HOCK— SPRAIN OF THE SHOULDER- 

 SPRAINS OF THE ELBOW AND HIP SPRAINED BACK LEGAL ASPECT 



OF SPRAIN. 



General Remarks on Sprains. 



DEFINITION OF SPRAIN.— A sprain is an injury to ligament, 

 tendon, joint, or muscle, caused by an excessive pull, twist, or the 

 repeated application of such injurious force, with the result that 

 the fibres of the part are more or less broken, over-stretched, or 

 torn away from the bones or other structures to which they were 

 attached. 



The study of sprains is very important; for they probably con- 

 stitute nine-tenths of the injuries which unfit saddle-horses for work. 



STRUCTURES LIABLE TO SPRAIN.— The ligaments which are specially 

 exposed to this accident, are composed of strong, inelastic tissue ; their office 

 being to bind together various structures. Thus, in the knee there are two. 

 lateral ligaments, which are fixed, one on each side of the ioint, to the ends 

 of the bones, immediately above and below it, so as to prevent it from 

 having side play. Capsular ligaments cover the joints and protect them 

 froni injury. The suspensory ligament (Figs. 5 and 6) aids in preventing 

 the fetlock from coming down on the ground when the horse puts weight 

 on the foot. Tendons (sinews) are composed of the same kind of material 

 as the ligaments just mentioned, and serve the part of strong inelastic cords 

 to connect muscles to bones. A tendon, at one end, is spliced on to its 

 muscle ; and at the other end, is attached to the surface of the bone. 

 Muscles, which compose the lean of meat, give rise to the movements of the 

 body by their power of contraction. Thus, before the foot can be raised — 

 speaking in general terms — the muscles which are connected at one end to 

 the bone of the leg, just above and at the back of the elbow, and at the 

 other end to the back tendons, will have to contract on being stimulated by 

 their nerves, so that the foot, which is attached to the lower end of the 

 back tendons, gets forcibly pulled up. When the stimulus ceases to act, 

 the muscles relax, and the foot again comes to the ground. 



