SPRAIN OF THE SHOULDER, 
107 
In this portion of the work we shall treat of the diseases 
alone, and the anatomy of the various parts will be after¬ 
wards given, with complete references to the plates illustra¬ 
tive of those parts. 
SPRAIN OF THE SHOULDER. 
Many ignorant pretenders, who denominate themselves 
Farriers, frequently speak of what they call the “ shoulder- 
lameness? without being able to state wherein this lameness 
consists. In innumerable instances they are wrong when 
they say or imagine that the lameness proceeds from the 
shoulder at all. We are decidedly of opinion that lameness 
of the shoulder is much less frequent than is supposed. 
Symptoms. —To those who have attended to the anatomy 
of the shoulder of the horse, shoulder-lameness can be 
recognised with considerable celerity, as well as certainty, 
The horse generally suffers great pain in moving forward 
while under the influence of this complaint, which is indi¬ 
cated by dragging his toe along the ground instead of 
lifting the foot smartly up, which is the natural action 
in progressive motion ; for it is this lifting of the foot which 
produces the pain, by giving motion to the muscles of the 
shoulder, some of which are inflamed and tender, in con¬ 
sequence of the sprain. But it must be obvious to any one 
acquainted with the anatomy of the shoulder, that the 
pain occasioned by lifting the foot must be both short and 
small in lameness of the shoulder, as the limb is allowed 
to bear the weight a much shorter time than in any other 
species of lameness. For example, in sprain of the back 
tendons, it is only when the horse is moving forwards that 
he suffers much pain, and this is most felt when the weight 
rests on the leg ; consequently, there is a peculiar activity 
in moving up the limb in shoulder-lameness the instant the 
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