2I)() THE HORSE. 



in the stable of the gentleman and the coach proprietor ; it is rare, where 

 the horse is seemingly neglected and badly sliod ; and frequent, where 

 every care is taken of the animal, and the shoes are unexceptionable, and 

 skilfully applied. Somelhuig may depend upon the breed. Blood- 

 horses are particularly liable to contraction ; not only is the foot naturally 

 small, but it is disposed to become narrower at the lieels. The broad, flat 

 foot of the cart-horse is subject to diseases enough, but contraction is 

 seldom one of the number. In horses of equal blood, not a little seems 

 to depend upon the colour, and the dark chestnut is proverbially prone to 

 contraction. 



There is, however, something in the management or use of the horse, 

 that lies at the root of the evil, and that it is not difficult to discover or to 

 understand. The over-feeding of many horses disposes them to inflamma- 

 tion, and with this disposition they are suffered to stand inactive in the stable 

 for one, or two, or three days: tiie exquisitely sensible little plates are 

 scarcely elongated ; they are becoming unused to exertion ; they are dimin- 

 ishing from lack of use. The horse is then taken from the stable, and, 

 without preparation, is galloped over the stones, or is ridden far and fast 

 on the road or in tlie field. Is it to be wondered at, if the sudden concus- 

 sion of the whole foot and the violent elongation of the little plates should 

 produce sufficient pain and inflammation to interfere with the function, and 

 alter the structure of various parts of the foot ? From the alteration of 

 structure or partial separation between the external and internal portions of 

 the foot, the expansion of the quarters becomes limited, or ceases, and, in 

 consequence of this, the crust becomes contracted, and falls in. 



Whatever be the cause of that rapid contraction or narrowing of the 

 heels which is accompanied by severe lameness, the symptoms may be 

 easily distinguished. While standing in the stable, the horse will point 

 with, or place forward, the contracted foot, or, if both feet be aflfected, he 

 will alternately place one before the other: when he is taken out of the 

 stable, he will not, perhaps, exhibit the decided lameness which characterizes 

 sprain of the flexor tendon, or some diseases of the foot ; but his step will 

 be peculiarly short and quick, and the feet will be placed gently and ten- 

 derly on the ground, and scarcely lifted from it in the walk or the trot. It 

 would seem as if the slightest irregularity of surface would throw the 

 animal down, and so it threatens to do, for he is constantly tripping and 

 stumbling. If the fore-feet are caretuUy observed, one or both of them will 

 be narrowed across the quarters and towards the heels. In a few cases, 

 the whole of the foot appears to be contracted and shrunk; but in the 

 majority of instances, while the heels are narrower, the foot is longer. The 

 contraction appears sometimes in both heels ; at other times in the inner heel 

 only, or, if both be affected, the inner one is wired in the most ; either gen- 

 erally from the coronet to the base of the foot, or, in some instances, only 

 or principally at the coronet ; oftener near the base of the foot ; but in most 

 cases the hollow is greatest about mid-way between the coronet and the 

 bottom of the foot. This irregularity of contraction, and uncertainty as to 

 the place of it, prove that it is some internal disorganization, the seat of 

 which varies with the portion of the attachment between the hoof and the 

 foot which was principally strained or injured. In every recent case the 

 contracted part will be hotter than the rest of the foot, and the sole will, in 

 most cases, be unnaturally concave, and that sometimes to a great degree. 

 Of the treatment of contraction, attended with lameness, we have very 

 little to say that will be satisfactory; numberless have been the mechanical 

 contrivances to oppose the progress of contraction, or to force back the 



