RING-BONE.
The whole soul of the horse seems devoted to man's will; who has not seen a team of small but sturdy horses contrive to drag a heavy load up a steep hill, as though nothing could afford them such content as to leave their hoofs behind them! What Londoner but has witnessed the cart-horse dig its toes into the stones of Ludgate Hill, and make the muscles bulge out upon the glossy coat as though life had but one object, and to that object the animal was straining every nerve!
A HORSE STRAINING TO
MOUNT A STEEP HILL.
A sight such as this, when properly contemplated, cannot otherwise than teach man to esteem his fellow-laborer; for what creature on earth toils so willingly in the service of humanity as the horse? At any hour it is ready—in health it is willing, and in sickness it is obedient; even when worn out, entirely used up and driven to the slaughter-house, it looks upon its slayer with large placid eyes, stands quietly in the place where it is bid, with no mistrust in the kindness of its abuser, and ends a life of devotion by accepting the blow almost as a favor. It is the only animal which lives but to more than share the burden of its owner; yet, of all existing quadrupeds, the horse is the most ill treated.
Ring-bone is an osseous deposit; so far it resembles splint and spavin: it differs, however, in the kind of horses it attacks. Splint and spavin are principally witnessed upon quadrupeds of speed. Ring-bone is all but confined to the cart-horse. It is caused by those violent efforts this animal makes, in obedience to the voice of the driver, when dragging a heavy load up some sharp ascent. The entire force is then thrown upon the bones of the pastern; inflammation ensues; lymph is effused; the lymph becomes cartilage, and the cartilage is converted into bone. Then an exostosis is established, and a ring-bone is the consequence.
The disease may implicate one or more bones; it may involve one or more joints; it may also be confined to one bone; it may be either partial or complete. It may exist as a slight enlargement in front of the bone, or it may quite encircle it. On page 299 is a specimen of the disease. The exostosis, as in this case, was prominent during life. The disease did not quite encircle the bones, and though, when the preparation was dried, the different parts could be slightly moved one upon another, yet, during life, the joints were firmly locked.
THE PASTERN AND PEDAL BONE OF A HORSE
AFFECTED WITH SEVERE RING-BONE.
1. The joint between the pastern bones, showing
the groove in which the tendon of the extensor
pedis muscle reposed.