192 



The Country Gentlcmaiis JMagadnc 



ON THE MANAGEMENT OE HORSES EEET. 



(Concluded irom page loi. 



FOOT-ROT in sheep is a disease entirely 

 due to causes, by Avhich crippled use- 

 less horses are produced; and prevention 

 and cure in one case is, on principle, nay, 

 practically, the same as in the other. 



The case of a race horse, which happened 

 a few years ago, is worthy of record. The 

 subject, a first favourite for the Doncaster 

 St Leger, became, while under preparation 

 for that race, a source of anxiety to his 

 owner and trainer, owing to the state of his 

 feet and hardness of the gi'ound. Extraordi- 

 nary attention was paid, his feet were 

 kept constantly wet, and to such a point 

 Avas it carried, that a boy, or several of 

 them, were in attendance to go into the 

 horse's box, from time to time during the 

 night, to apply cold water to the horse's feet. 

 The September day came, and the horse won 

 the great stakes. Of course the feat was re- 

 garded as a great victory, due to cold 

 water ; while, in fact, the colt was so much 

 superior to his competitors that for the time 

 his chance had not been destroyed ; besides, 

 it is most probable that every horse that ran 

 against the winner of that important race had 

 been treated on the foot-weakening plan, the 

 difference, therefore, between the quantity of 

 wet applied to their feet respectively being 

 only one of degree. 



But weakening had so far done its work that 

 by continuing the process, the coffin bones 

 of both fore feet were undergoing rapid 

 change. Absorption of their sharp margins 

 was being effected in order to make a flat sur- 

 face, which was productive of less pain than 

 the deep strong forms, so effective to strength, 

 speed, and all natural endowments of the limb, 

 but productive of pain under the circum- 

 stances. 



The St Leger was won, and the horse's rac- 

 ing career closed, and progressively his feet 

 to the least initiated, gave evidence of 

 confirmed disease. Meanwhile he became a 

 favourite stallion, his early produce con- 



firmed the favourable opinion of the public f 

 and while the sons of this foot-ruined horse 

 were winning the Derby and St Leger, he was 

 doomed to perpetual suffering beyond the 

 imagination of man to conceive. 



With different management, that horse 

 might have been in training and winning 

 great prizes at seven or eight years old, and 

 then have begun a career — as stallion — free 

 from pain, in all his fine form and beauty, 

 with years extended to his life, instead of 

 being the most miserable picture of cruelty 

 to behold. 



The hoofs of horses and the nails of 

 animals in general, are endowed with a 

 quick and a dead part, and such an intimate 

 blending of structure is there between the 

 inner horn of the hoof, and the fibrous tex- 

 ture which underlays it, that one fails to dis- 

 cover any line of demarcation which can be 

 assigned as that where sensibility terminates. 

 One of the modes of connexion of the hoof 

 with adjacent parts, is by interlaying plates— 

 lamince — constituted of horn structure as be- 

 longing to the hoof, and of the reticular 

 tissue, blood-vessels, nerves, &c., proceeding 

 from the common sensitive envelope. Part 

 of the adapting surfaces, the sole and frog, 

 and around the coronet are apparently smooth; 

 but by close examination it is found that the 

 means of connexion at these parts is by fila- 

 ments as fineas down, consisting also of blood- 

 vessels and nerve matter, penetrating the horn 

 substance ; and so intimate and strong is the 

 connexion that great force is required to 

 detach any part of the hoof until after it has 

 been subjected to decomposition, In the pro- 

 cess of detaching, however, that which I am 

 describing may be readily seen. 



Throughout the connecting medium of the 

 hoof a radius is established, which is endowed 

 Avith most acute sensibility, and is amply sup- 

 plied with the material for growth and repair 

 over that medium. Blood is furnished, and 

 a limpid, colourless fluid is passed on into the 



