68 The Diseases of Animals 
boil. The knee should be examined for bony enlarge- 
ments, wind - puffs and scars on the front. Sears in 
this region indicate that the horse is a stumbler. Look 
just below the knee on the inside for speedy cuts, scars 
or bunches, due to the hitting of the opposite foot. 
Splints should also be felt for, and looked for on the 
inside of the fore leg, and bony bunches on the outside. 
The front of the cannon bone should be smooth and free 
from bunches and sears. The back tendons should be 
smooth; if contracted, they give the knee a “ sprung” 
appearance, as the horse stands squarely. Parallel 
marks or sears resulting from “firing” should be looked 
for. Above the fetlock the leg should be examined for 
wind- puffs on either side, just in front of the tendons. 
The fetlock and pastern joints should be examined for 
ring-bones, bunches or sears. Small puffy enlarge- 
ments over the large nerves which pass down toward 
the back of the fetlock and along the edge of the ten- 
dons, below the fetlock, indicate the injection of co- 
caine, which is done to disguise lameness temporarily. 
Sears in these places on both sides of the leg indicate 
that the horse has been “nerved.” Just at the top of 
the hoof, on either side, the lateral cartilages should be 
examined to see that they have not ossified, forming 
side bones. 
The foot should be of good size and shape, free from 
rings of horny growth, the wall not concave. The heels 
should not be contracted. The wall should be carefully 
examined for sand-cracks, quarter-cracks and seedy-toe, 
the last a softening and degeneration of the wall at 
the toe or the foot, The bottom of the foot should be 
