250 DISEASES OF BONE. 



pression of the pastern bones, especially in the hind legs, or to 

 sprain of the ligaments of the pastern joints. The symptoms may 

 somewhat resemble those of " split pastern '' (p. 300). Ringbones 

 are more common on the hind, than on the fore feet, thougl] the 

 opposite is the case with sidebones. The difference is probably 

 due to the fact that, in the hind feet, more work is thrown on 

 the toe than in the fore feet. The lateral cartilages (p. 274) are 

 situated on the sides and back of the foot'; and the front of the 

 pasterns is the usual seat of ringbone. I have seen, on different 

 occasions, cases of lameness from ringbone which had been induced 

 by the horse " going on his toe," owing to a previously existing 

 spavin. If concussion were a common cause of ringbone, that 

 disease, contrary to what is actually the case, would appear more 

 often in the fore legs than in the hind. 



A horse should not be rejected because his pasterns are " rough,'' 

 that is, large and with prominent processes of bone for the attach- 

 ment of tendon and ligament ; as this is the best shape, always 

 supposing that both pasterns are the same. 



I have seen several cases of foals and yearlings having been 

 treated for ringbone ; although their pasterns and feet were free 

 from disease. In these young animals a false appearance of ring- 

 bone is often shown, on account of the oomparatively large size of 

 the heads of the pastern bones, and the incomplete development 

 of the hoof. 



In the early stages of ringbone, a horse becomes lame before 

 any deposit is formed or any swelling takes place ; for, here, the 

 cause of the pain is inflammation in the stracture of the bone itself. 

 When lame from this cause in a fore foot, the horse goes on the 

 heel. The fact that the condition of the hoof and the state of 

 the pulse and internal temperature are healthy, will show that the 

 animal is not suffering from laminitis. Writing about ringbones. 

 Professor Williams remarks : — " When at the sides they do not 

 cause the same degree of lameness as when the front is involved." 



I have often observed in the lameness of ringbone, that the horse 

 lifts his foot off the* ground in a peculiarly stiff manner, evidently, 

 with the object of trying to bend the pastern joints as little as 

 possible. 



Ringbone must not be oonfounded with sidebone (p. 274), which 

 is ossification of the lateral cartilages of the foot. 



TREATMENT.— Although, to avoid a blemish, the effect of a 

 biniodide of mercury blister may .be tried in preference to the hot 

 iron ; it is no doubt the wisest policy in the long run to puncture 

 fire deeply, as in spavin (p. 258), the moment ringbone manifests 

 its presence; if delayed, enough bony material may be thrown out, 



