526 



On Mismanagement of Farm- Horses. 



are brought into sudden and violent action^ and rupture of some 

 of the minute muscular fibres takes place. The animal falls 

 lame, but the lameness is often scarcely perceptible. The muscles 

 affected, being kept in a state of inaction, become atrophied, or 

 wasted, to such an extent that the spine and tubercle of the 

 scapula are often felt quite distinctly, and the bone seems in close 

 contact with the skin. From this wasting of the muscles which 

 keep the shoulder-joint in its position, it is thrown outwards at 

 every step, giving the animal a rolling, unsteady gait. The treat- 

 ment of such cases consists at first in rest, and subsequently in 

 gentle and gradually increasing exercise. The application of a 

 blister may sometimes be advisable. 



Strains of the tendons of the fore-leg are a very common conse- 

 quence of overwork. The disease, as met with in farm -horses, 

 generally occurs first in the metacarpal ligament, just above its 

 insertion into the tendo-perforans. From exposure to undue ten- 

 sion, several of the fibres of this important ligament are torn, and 

 great pain is in consequence felt, whenever the limb is extended, 

 as when the foot is placed on the ground. Unless the animal be 

 prevented from using the limb, much inflammation takes place, 

 and also effusion, which, by separating the fibres of the ligament 

 from each other, deflects them from their straight course, thus 

 producing at the same time thickening and shortening of the 

 limb. From the excessive pain, and the endeavours to relieve 

 the strained ligament as much as possible, undue stress is fre- 

 quently thrown on other parts of the limb ; and hence, when a 

 horse is still kept at work, the perforans tendon and suspensory 

 ligament soon become also involved. The tendo-perforans is also 

 liable to strain, lower down in its course, near its insertion into 

 the bone of the foot, and just where it passes over the navicular 

 bone. From injury done to this part of the tendon it becomes 

 inflamed, the inflammation extending to the bursce lying within 

 the tendon, and subsequently, in more aggravated cases, to the 

 bone itself. Friction is produced by impaired synovial secretion, 

 and roughening of the opposing surfaces by efl'usion ; and this 

 gives rise to a very characteristic sort of lameness, a short, trip- 

 ping, yet Careful gait, a peculiar method of standing with one foot 

 projected, a wasting of the muscles of the shoulders, upright 

 pasterns, and a red, inflamed appearance of the sole, especially 

 round the point of the frog. In short, the animal is groggy. He 

 is affected by navicular disease, a disease so common as to be 

 familiar to every one having the most limited experience in 

 horseflesh. 



But besides diseases of the bones, muscles, and tendons of the 

 extremities, overwork also produces diseases of the tissues of the 

 joints and of the feet. Subjecting animals whose limbs are not 



