Oe EOE a — 
AT6 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 June, 1900. 
| The Horse. 
DEFECTS AND BLEMISHES IN THE LEGS OF THE HORSE. 
By P. MEGNIN, in the Live Stock Jowrnal. , 
‘Tie position and condition of the limbs of a horse when standing 1s called its 
perpendicularity. The ’perpendicularity is right when the weight of the body 
is distributed évenly over the limbs, and the perpendicularity of each limb 38 
-good. dee is verified by means of certain lines. Thus, wit 
regard to the front limb, considered by itself, a vertical line dropped from the 
point of the shoulder to the ground ought to touch the latter a little in front 
of the toe of the hoof (Fig. 45). If this line fall upon the toe the horse 18 
said to be “under himself in front” (Fig. 46); if the line fall behind, the 
: horse is said to “cover plenty of ground.” It will not be necessary to enter 
- into long explanations as to why these two last positions constitute defectivé 
perpendicularity. The fact is that the limb, ae thus formed, gets tre 
sooner than it would if it were vertical ; its equilibrium is less assured, and te 
horse is in danger of falling. he direction of the limb may be faulty m its 
5 different parts with regard to each other. In Fig. 45 there is a representatlo? 
-of perfect perpendicularity in the foreleg, the axis of the radius or arm forming 
.a straight line with the cannon bone. This line may be broken in two ways 
either very much forward, then the knee is carried to the front (Fig. 48), 
the limb is distinguished by a defect of perpendicularity called bent knee; ben 
when the defect has been brought on by continued fatigue or exhaustion, OF 
when the animal was born with the defect. Many horses are born so, and when 
this occurs in a horse its safety is generally as great as if the limb were quite 
straight. A limb which is bent by over-work, on the other hand, has no solidi 
in the front, and is liable to frequent falls. When the line is broken, 80 tha 
‘the horse stands back at the knee, the limb is said to have the knee efface 
(Fig. 49). The defect is less serious than the former one. There is no dange? 
.of falling, but there is danger of fatigue of the tendon, which may cause 
halting. The lower extremity of the limb may have a more or less 500 
-direction. ‘The normal direction is shown in Fig. 50, in which the axis 0 oe 
phalanges, taken altogether, make an angle of 45 degrees with the ground, J 
sens axis approaches the perpendicular the horse is straight on his fetlock Jo” 
(Fig. 51). 
Tf, on the contrary, it approaches the horizontal, the horse dips, at the 
fetlock (Fig. 52). ‘The first of the blemishes is a sign of exhaustion, oe 
second of weakness. In the hind limb, considered apart from its fellow, “ 
-examined in profile, the rule is that a vertical line, drawn from the point 0 
buttock, ought to touch the hock point and go along the hinder part of the bac 
tendons before touching the ground (Fig. 53a). Every horse which has 
limb in front of this line is said to be under himself behind (Fig. 58¢). Bvery 
“horse which has the limb behind the vertical line is said to be encamp behin if 
= (Fig. 538b). These two defects of perpendicularity are of the same importane a 
_as are those of the same name in the foreleg. When the hind limb has a regula 
perpendicularity the axis of the leg forms with that of the horizon an anglé £ 
rather more than 45 degrees. If the angle is more than this—that is to SW . 
-the axis of the leg approaches the vertical excessively, as in Fig. 54—the hors* 
-said to be straight on its hocks. When, on the contrary, the angle forme y 
-the hock approaches in shape that of a right angle, the horse is said to have | 
Ybent hock (Fig. 55). ‘The first of these two conformations is frequently ue 
