38 SPRAINS. 



brought down on the ground (Fig. 10), the fetlock descends (Fig. 

 11), by reason of the weight of the body being thrown on it, 

 during which time most of the strain falls on the check ligament 

 and suspensory ligament. When the fetlock has reached its 

 utmost limit of descent, the forehand is raised by the straightening 

 of the leading fore leg (Figs. 12 and 13), which is slightly aided 

 in the canter by the straightening of the non-leading fore leg. 

 It is evident that the straightenii:g of the fetlock joint is 

 accomplished by the muscles of the back tendons, which are 

 consequently liable to sprain at that time, especially if the 

 ground is so " holding '' as to offer resistance to the withdrawal of 

 the foot from the soil. The back tendons of the hind limbs are 

 apt to get sprained when the horse is drawing heavy loads, because 

 propulsion is obtained by straightening of the legs. 



SPRAIN OF THE CHECK LIGAMENT.— This injury is common 

 among cart-horses. It also occurs to saddle-horses, and here 

 invariably appears to be the result of a sudden jerk, caused by the 

 animal placing his -foot on some inequality of the ground. Several 

 instances are known of it happening to racehorses exercised on 

 courses which were cut up by ruts of wheels, etc., crossing them. 

 As already pointed out, the check ligament in connection with 

 the portion of the perforans tendon beneath it, serves as an 

 assistant brace to the suspensory ligament ; this may divide, and 

 the fetlock pad come to the ground, without the check ligament 

 being injured at all. That this sprain must occur during extension 

 (descent) of the fetlock, is evident; because the moment the foot 

 is flexed, the check ligament is thrown into a state of rest. Again, 

 it rarely happens during the gallop on level ground, at which pace 

 there is extreme extension of the foot at each stride. The vtsaa.] 

 manner in which it gets sprained, appears to be by a sudden jerk 

 at a time when the upper portion of the perforans tefidon is 

 relaxed, so that the whole of the shock has to be borne by this 

 ligament. In the case of a sound cart-horse walking at ease, or 

 going down hill with a heavy load behind him, the heel first comes 

 to the ground, then the toe ; the lieel is now raised, and finally 

 the toe quits the ground. But when moving a weight which taxes 

 his strength considerably — particularly when drawing it up hill — 

 the toe first meets the ground (Fig. 14), at which moment the 

 flexor muscles are contracted, their tendons in a state of tension, 

 and the check ligament is at rest. As the weight is overcome at 

 each step, the flexor muscles are suddenly relaxed, and the heel 

 brought down to the ground with a quick jerk. This is 

 communicated to the check ligament, by the upper portion of the 

 perforans tendon, at a time when it is unassisted in bearing the 



