period upon the affected member is the determining factor in the
production of lameness. This unequal period of weight-bearing upon the
front legs, for instance, causes an acceleration in the advancement of
the sound member, in order to relieve the diseased one which is bearing
weight. In other words, when an animal that is affected with
supporting-leg-lameness travels in a straight line, since weight is
borne by the diseased leg for an abnormally short period of time, the
sound member needs be in the act of advancement a correspondingly short
period. The result is then, an unequal division of stride; a nodding of
the head with the catching up of weight by the sound leg,--in front leg
affections--and this is termed _limping_.

With continuous exertion as in travel for a considerable distance, in
some cases, lameness becomes less evident--as in spavin. This "warming
out" process is due in a measure to the parts becoming less sensitive
upon exertion, and is to be seen, to a limited extent, in all
inflammatory affections that are not too severe; consequently, in some
cases, examination of a lame animal should begin in the stall, for in
instances where the impediment is not marked, there may be no evidence
of lameness after the subject has walked a few steps. In other cases,
lameness increases as the subject continues to travel, and often to the
extent that the impediment becomes too severe to allow the animal being
serviceable. Therefore, one can not, in every case of lameness observed,
positively determine the gravity of the situation, without having seen
the affected animal in action for a sufficient length of time to
understand the nature of the condition existing. This necessitates
driving the animal for several miles in certain cases.

Sometimes it is impossible to arrive at any definite conclusion, as the
result of a single examination, and it then becomes necessary to see the