85 
OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
Bv R. H. Dyer, M.R.C.V.S., Waterford. 
(Continued from p. 22.) 
“ Break-down” as it is commonly called, is a very signifi¬ 
cant term, inasmuch as it invariably puts a stop to the career 
of an animal for some time, and often for ever interferes with 
his racing qualifications, depending upon the seat and nature 
of the injury—which injury, en passant, is generally produced 
by violence. There are several kinds of (S break-down,” one 
of which is met with in young, leggy, well-bred horses, which 
is nothing more than a rupture of the fibres of the cellular 
tissue connected with the flexor tendons; a second is when the 
sheath of the tendon has given way; a third, when the ten¬ 
don itself has been injured; and a fourth, wdien the lesion is 
situated in the suspensory ligament. There are other kinds 
of “ break-down” known to horsemen, such as a giving way 
of the lateral ligaments of the pastern joint, a strain of the 
ligaments of the sesamoids, and also of a similar injury to the 
tendons, &c., below the pastern joint. 
The appearances met with in <( break-down,” are familiar 
to most persons, and consequently very few can be found to 
invest money in an animal possessing this defect. There are, 
however, horses purchased by a certain class who find them 
extremely useful, as posters for light work, car-drawing, 
and other labour where happily they do not draft more 
than from ten to twelve stone. Horses which have been 
properly treated are found to do their work in a way 
satisfactory to their riders and drivers; but it must be confessed 
that a very long time is occasionally required to bring about 
such a result, especially when the lesion has been a serious 
one. The principal thing veterinary surgeons have to con¬ 
sider in examining such a horse is to thoroughly understand 
the parts which have been injured, to reflect upon the structure 
and function of those parts, and what the nature of the repairs 
to be effected is, and what work the animal will be called 
upon to perform. These are the main questions with which 
we have to do when we find a case of break-down presented 
for examination. If merely cellular tissue has given way, it 
becomes a simple affair; if sheath of tendon, our interest 
increases; should it be tendon itself, more serious still; and 
if the suspensory ligament be the seat of injury, then it be¬ 
hoves us to look not merely closely into the matter, but we 
