DISEASES OF THE HORSE 161 



cause lameness are wind-galls or wind-puffs ; bog, blood, and 

 occult spavin, and thoroughpin. 



Wind-galls, blood-spavin, bog-spavin, and thoroughpin. — 

 Wind-galls usually occur between tendons where small sacs, 

 containing synovial fluid or joint-oil, are situated to lubricate 

 the tendons as they play over each other. They appear in the 

 form of soft and somewhat rounded or elongated puffs of vary- 

 ing size. They may be located on either side of the leg. Usually 

 wind-galls are painless and cause lameness only under certain 

 conditions. In rare cases they solidify into hard masses. The 

 blood-spavin is situated in front and on the inside of the hock. 

 It is merely a dilated condition of the vein and is soft and yield- 

 ing to pressure. The bog-spavin is a round, smooth, well-de- 

 fined puff situated in front and a little inward of the hock. 

 On pressure it disappears from this joint to reappear on the out- 

 side and just behind the hock. Thoroughpin is found at the 

 back and on the top of the hock in the part known as the "hol- 

 lows " just behind the shank bone. These rarely cause lameness, 

 but may under certain conditions. They are rather unsightly. 



These ailments are usually due to strains and overexertions. 

 In colts they may disappear. The treatment is to cause the 

 puff to be absorbed. Rest, cold water baths, followed by hand- 

 rubbing, will usually bring about the desired result. If they 

 persist, paint with tincture of iodine twice daily until sore. 

 Later try a dull red-blister, but never a sharp one. 



Lameness due to ailments of muscles and tendons 



Diseases and ailments of the muscles and tendons are a fre- 

 quent cause of lameness among horses, the most important of 

 which are sprains, shoulder lameness, hip lameness, knuckling, 

 sprung knees and curb. 



Sprains is the name applied to the injury of the muscles, 

 tendons, or ligaments whereby their fibers slip or yield. It is 

 very common, as none of the muscles or tendons are exempt 



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