STUMBLING. 
6&S 
the limb a few words upon this subject may be excusable. At 
every step when the weight of the body is transferred from one 
front limb to the other the body is falling and nothing but the 
timely arrival of the opposite limb to a position where it can catch 
and support it will prevent its falling to the ground. 
The limb was intended to perform this work and nature pro¬ 
vided it with the necessary strength, not alone while in a given 
position, but so arranged and adjusted its many parts as to per¬ 
mit of a change in its position without detracting from its 
strength or comfort. 
Inasmuch as we are now trying to adjust the parts in a way 
that will stop stumbling and not for the purpose of relieving 
lameness, there are some things that I wish to make plain. First, 
that the ligaments play a very important part in preventing or at 
least limiting motion of the joints to either side, while permitting 
in many cases extreme flexion and extension, while the muscles 
and tendons have full control over flexion and extension. Sec¬ 
ond, that the ligaments are non, or very slightly elastic and un¬ 
able to adjust themselves to an abnormal position, while the ten¬ 
dons which are a continuation of the muscles possess the advan¬ 
tage oftentimes of being able, through the medium of the muscles, 
to adjust their length bo the extent of escaping injury. 
When the extended limb first receives the weight of the body, 
the direction of the weight is from above to below and from be¬ 
fore to behind with a tendency to force the limb backward and 
downward and in the direction of the very strong and more or 
less elastic organs found there. The foot being fixed upon the 
ground, as the body moves forward, the direction of the limb ap¬ 
proaches a vertical position and the weight now passes through 
its center and through that part of the foot known as the quar¬ 
ters. It has now reached a position where the quarters must be 
depended upon to support it upon either side, and if for any rea¬ 
son insufficient support is given to the one side, the limb will sud¬ 
denly be displaced in that direction, and the injury to the liga¬ 
ments will often compel the animal to yield to the increased 
stra'n. 
