ENLARGEMENT OF THE HOCK.
A horse with an enlarged hock must always be regarded with suspicion: in truth he is unsound. The animal may discharge his usual work during a long period, without return of lameness, but when all his energies are required, the weakened part will fail. The treatment is plain enough: fomentations, blistering, &c. may remedy the evil.
SPRAIN OF THE COFFIN JOINT.
The proof of this is when the lameness is sudden, and the heat and tenderness are principally felt around the cornet. Bleeding at the toe, physic, fomentations and blisters are the usual means adopted. This lameness is not easily removed even by a blister, and if removed like sprains of the fetlock and of the back sinews, it is apt to return again. Sprains of the coffin joint sometimes become a very serious affair; not being attended by any swelling, and being detected only by heat around the coronet. First reduce the heat by fomentations: say bathe the foot with water as warm as the hand will bear, fomentate with this for 15 or 20 minutes—the long continuance of fomentations has been found very efficacious in reducing inflammation; next apply a clay poultice made with vinegar, and when getting dry moisten by pouring vinegar on the foot and clay. After the heat has left the parts, then blister. The horse should not be used for a month or two.
GREASE.
Grease consists of swollen legs, although swelled legs occur frequently, yet there is no grease. Friction and bandaging will generally remove this. Grease is a specific inflammation of the skin of the heels, sometimes of the forefeet, but oftener of the hinder ones. It is not a contagious disease, as some have asserted although when it once appears in a stable, it frequently attacks almost every horse in it.—Bad stable management is the true cause of it. The first appearance of grease is usually a dry and scurfy state of the skin of the heel, with redness, heat and itching. The heel should be well but gently washed with soap and water, and as much of the scurf detached as is easily removed. If the cracks are deep, with an ichorous discharge and considerable lameness, it will be necessary to poultice. A poultice made of carrots boiled soft and mashed will answer the purpose. The efficacy of a carrot poultice is seldom sufficiently appreciated in cases like this. The poultice just referred to should be diligently applied at night, to insure success, and when the heat and tenderness and stiffness of motion have diminished, astringent lotions should be applied. Either the alum lotion or a strong decoction of oak bark—perhaps the alum dissolved in whiskey will do better than water, or the alum dissolved in a decoction of bark will answer better than either. This disease requires perseverance—the decoctions should be made very strong. After washing several times should there be watery matter on the heels or leg, wash it off with wafer and soap. Moderate physicing, bran mashes, &c. will be found very beneficial. The above decoctions will never fail to cure the scratches.