LOCATING LAMENESS

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 50

LOCATING LAMENESS

It is often, difficult to locate the cause of .a horse's lameness. The more every horse owner knows about locating lameness the better, and in this connection the following pointers from the Horse World will be of value. Lameness behind is seen by trotting the horse from the observer, the croup being th-e essential point to be watched, since it falls or drops with the sound leg and rises with the lame one. If^lame in both hind legs the stride is shortened and awkward, the forelegs are kept back of the vertical line, and are a-pt to be raised higher than usual, while the head is lowered. Backing is difficult, and it i% almot impossible to keep the animal at a trot when there is lameness in more than one leg at a time. Horses lame in both fore and hind legs show a wobbling gait behind, often mistaken for lameness originating in the lumbar region ; -this peculiar motion is simply due to the fact that the hind legs are unduly advanced under the body for their own relief or that of the forelegs. Lameness in two legs of the same side causes a see-sawing of the head and haunch, due to the jerking up of the head as the lame foreleg comes down, and dropping of the haunch as the sound hind leg touches the ground. Pacers, of couree, form an -exception, to this rule. If lame- in two legs of the same side, the body drops when the sound legs are planted and rises when the lame legs are planted. Animals lame diagonally — for instance, in the right foreleg, and left hind leg— «how a rising of the body as the lame legs are put to the ground, whereas the head and haunch drop as the left fore and right hind leg (■'•he sottnd ones) touch the ground. Close attention is to be paid to the animal's action as he turns while being trotted to and from the observer,- as at this moment— -that is, while he turns — any hitch becomes visible, as, for instance, the spavin _or stringhalfc lameness. Sometimes lameness is so slight, and that, only for a while after leaving the stable, that the detection of the lame legs is quite impossible. Under these circumstances it is advisable to drive the animal briskly three or four miles, rest him one half-hour, and then proceed with the examination. This treatment often materially increases lameness, and the lame leg becomes more apparent. Exceedingly difficult to diagnose are complicated cases — that is, those 'where more than one leg is lame at th-e same time — calling for constant practice and keen observation. If there is any doubt as to the permanency of the lameness—it may be temporary from interfering, picking up stones, «tc. — examine the animal again in a, day or two. Lameness resulting from chronic disease of a joint, especially the hock joint, becomes more pronounced by passively flexing the joint supposed to be diseased for one or two minutes, trotting the animal immediately^ on releasing the leg. This method of examination, applied mostly to confirm the- diagnosis- " spavin," is known as the spavin test. Sometimes it is necessary to trot the horse in a circle.^particularly if trotting him in n straight line gives negative results; but tho circle must not be too small, as this produces irregular action of the legs. Th-e hor^e is trotted to the right, and to the left of the circle, as one direction k apt to bring ont the lameness better than the other. For instance, if jogging- him to the left causes or increases lameness, the trouble is somewhere in the near leg.