Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-06-21
LAMENESS IN HORSES.
To Discover Which of the -Four Equine Legs
Is Detective.

hupuIe, anu ulOSb singular ItCU Is Uue
great number of young horses that seem
to be afflicted, thereby proving beyond
possible doubt that the origin of the
trouble in the majority of instances is
congenital hereditary predisposition).
In selecting mares for breeding purposes
this important item must be impressed
upon the mind that they should be as
free from structural changes as possible,
as we'll as from organic diseases, espe-
cially of the foot, as the power of trans
hitting disease is much greater in the
mother than in the father.
The diseases and accidents of which
lamencss is commonly a symptom or re-
suit are inflammation and riceration of
tho joints, inflammation and ossification
of the pcriostical and cartilage ligamen-
tous tissues, sprain and Inflammation OF
the lgaments and tendons, liberation
and Inflammation of muscular fiber,
disease OF the structures peculiar to tho
foot, faults or accidents in shooting, con.
tusious, wounds of all sorts, tuners,
ulceratiops, fractures, dislocac;ons,
spasm, paralysis.
A horse suddenly stricken with infu-
enca manifests such weakness il his
limbs as hardly to be able to walk
Here the debility is the direct effect Of
disease, but it may be an indirect effect
and in this way: A horse dislocated Lis
sti.lo. The power and tone of the mus
clcs of the dislocated limb remain for
the time undiminishcd. as indeed would
CTNNNffj1v 1o lyil>T.n1 No 10
pushed into place again Suffer the
bone, however, to remain in state OF
dislocation for length of time, tie
limb continuing, through necessity, al
tho while IL inaCtion, and tho result
will be shrinking and atrophy of its
muscles and consequent manifestation
OF weakness and lameness Indeed a
horse may be left in q stall tied up to
his crib for so long time that when
led out again he will be found to 1--we
all but lost the use Of his limbs.
The weakness cngcndered il tho
limbs by overwork everybody racoG-
Mics. The wind sails, the swollen and
round sinews, the l-nUciilinG over, bent
and t-e.nulCus joints, all evinco weak
ness from hard work, and this is more
or less accompanied by Grogginess and
i2meIesa The determination Ct the
lame leg must be settled point before
any step be taken to relieve tho lame
ness. The application of remedies to the
sound rather than to the unsould limb
has more than once exposed to riGicule
the too confident master or the cunning
groom. A horse III 'eling acute pain il
one CT his legs will, If it be fore limb,
as TIC phrase goes, point the lame
foot. g., place it il an extended po-
siticn in advance Of its fellow-and il
this manner himself inform Us by such
silent supplicaticn for relief where
aboJ.ts he feels his pain The animal
will 90 this point while standing il, his
staI even, 30 tlat a person going into
his stable Illay, from this circumstance
alone, not only discover 4 Lime horse,
but also foreteli tie leg Of which he
will go lame.
II qualification CT this remark, how
ever, it Elust be added that pointing
does net Invariably denote lamencss.
Some horses Will point from habit
they have contracted during some Pre-
vioUs la1nelcss, Should the pain be III q
hind limb the animal will either stand
with it feZcd, treadirg gingclly upon
tho tip Ct the toe, or else carry tho foot
quite OF the ground and thus &c. l.od
UPS the saying is, go hopping along
upon three legs. A horse with acute
plin il both fore feet will stand with
his Lind feet advanced underneath his
hCI'-- fi3,Ct fh,4-, ~
otter, ard every time ho moves viii
rear Up Lis head and strike out his ncc..
in expression Of the pain lie suffers. On
the other hand, should his hind feet be in
pain, he will stand with ms fore limbs
extended backward toward the central
line Of gravity, with lis head hung
down, lifting fist o.-o hind leg and then
the other.
In respect to the leg upon which the
horse crops, any man who has been
lame himself, who has had (a,ld who
has lot hadD a painful corn aud has
noted his cy-n lilnping action, viii net
need to be informed that, every time
pressure upon his foot with The corn
gives him pain, instantly flnching from
1t by 1noncAtary elevation Of his body
he lifts his weight SIS much as he can OF
his ailinS foot to lot 1t down or drop
upon his sound foot The same thing
happens to the lame horse Finding
from the pressure or concussiGn OF the
lame leg or foot against the ground, lie
suddenly LIFTS the laIle side Of his body
to drop" the weisi.t oi it upon tie
sound side
Parts III their natural condition pos
sessinS elasticity or motion one upon
the other Elay, from the effects OF liz
Illumination, become glued together or
converted from soft into hard, uuyield-
ing tissues, and the result be lsuneuoss
continuing long after all infammatory
action and pain have departed. Exam
pies of this daily meet our eyes among
the numberless horses, trotters espe-
cially. There are lame from ''bunged,
round" or solidified legs, weakness III
the limbs, by which is to be understood
diminished power or tone i'll their mus
cular or ligamentous parts
Should the lameness be in one of his
fore limbs the head with the bOdy is