302 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



air blows upon him, more or less inflammation and sometimes 

 acute fever are brought on, that prove fatal to the health of the 

 hoof. These symptoms are clearly marked, and yet are often 

 taken for those of the cholic. If the trouble is in the feet, 

 there will be a frequent shifting of the fore legs, but no pawing, 

 much less a motion to reach the belly with the head or hind 

 feet. The animal shows an aversion to placing the feet in an 

 upright posture under the body, looks rounder a place to lie 

 down, but seems afraid to draw his feet under him for the 

 purpose, and when down lies still. The feet when sounded 

 with a hammer will throb, and on examination will be found 

 hot and feverish. In such cases obtain the services of a good 

 veterinary physician as soon as possible. 



Pumaced Feet. — These are so much like what I call weak 

 feet, that, though different C2mkes may produce them, I shall 

 place them together. By inflammation or other causes, the 

 elasticity between the coffin bone and the wall of the hoof is 

 lost, the bone descends, and a hollow appearance is produced 

 on the outside, between the coronet and the toe, while the 

 bottom of the foot inclines to grow flat. Between the sole and 

 wall is a crease nearly a quarter of an inch wide, indicating 

 that the union between the wall and other parts of the foot was 

 not perfect. Horses thus affected may do considerable work, 

 but are unfit for roadsters. Little can be done for them, except 

 to give them a wide web shoe of good thickness. Let purchasers 

 beware of such horses. Look out for those hoofs that are 

 hollowed on the outside between the hair and the toe. 



Quarter Cracks are ruptures on the wall near the heel, 

 penetrating nearly through in all cases, and sometimes causing 

 a complete separation to the quick or fleshy plates. With such 

 hoofs a bar or hoop shoe is required, that the weight of the 

 horse may be thrown upon the other side of them. Then take 

 a plate of iron an inch wide and two inches long, drill a number 

 of holes on each side, and with some small wood screws about 

 a third of an inch long make it fast on each side of the crack. 

 These plates may remain on till the hoof heals, yet hoofs with 

 these rents cannot be depended on, though they may appear 

 perfectly sound. 



Corns appear in the angle of the hoof near the heel. They 

 are of a reddish or blood-shot appearance — soft and spongy. 



