238 DISEASES OF BONE. 



age, when the elements of nutrition are supplied to them by the 

 blood-vessels in a decreased amount ; the younger the horse, the 

 greater probability there is of his becoming lame from a splint. 

 Besides, young ones being more awkward, are more liable to " hit " 

 themselves than are older animals. Old age and a long rest often 

 cause, as may be seen among stud animals, the almost entire 

 absorption of large splints. 



HEREDITY. — The influence of hereditary predisposition is well 

 marked. Also, the conformation of the legs ' induces liability to 

 this disease, especially when the animal is heavily " topped." 



GRAVITY OF SPLINT ACCORDING AS IT IS ON THE IN- 

 SIDE OR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FORE LEG.— A splint 

 on the outside of a fore leg is generally more serious than one on 

 the inside, especially if it be well forward, and high up ; it will 

 then be apt to interfere with the extensor tendon of the long 

 pastern bone, which tendon is on the outside of the knee, and goes 

 down the front of the cannon bone (Fig. 7, p. 33). 



SPLINTS ON THE HIND LEGS.— In a hind leg, a splint (Fig. 96) mav 

 occur on the inside of the leg, from the downward pressure of the small 

 cuneiform bone on the top of the small splint bone. 



PROBABILITY OF RECOVERY.— As a rule, rest and time re- 

 • move the lameness and greatly reduce the size of even very large 

 splints. At the same time, I would not hold out much hope for the 

 permanent recovery of an aged horse which had been lame for a 

 considerable period, or on repeated occasions, from a splint close 

 to the knee, or from splints that involved the two splint bones of 

 a fore leg, and (like those in Fig. 82) caused considerable enlarge- 

 ment through the entire extent of these bones. 



SYMPTOMS.- — A splint is detected by grasping with the hand 

 the horse's suspected leg in the ordinary manner in which we feel 

 the leg, and tracing, with the fingers upon one side and the thumb 

 upon the other, the inner and outer splint bones from their heads 

 downwards to their tapering extremities. Any actual exostosis 

 will at once arrest the hand ; any rising or irregularity will 

 create suspicion and lead to closer examination. Horses, especi- 

 ally young ones which have lately been put to work, not in- 

 frequently become lame from splint before any swelling appears 

 on the bone. For this reason, in the -examination of a case of 

 obscure lameness, especially if the animal be young, never fail 

 to look for the signs of splint lameness, namely : that the lameness 

 at the trot is out of all proportion greater than that at the walk ; 



