SANDCRACK. 533 
upon it laterally; and, secondly, the jar on the frog, communicated 
through the shoe, from the ground, induces a healthy action in the foot, 
aud the sole has a greater tendency to secrete healthy horn. There is no 
doubt in my mind that all horses would work much better, and keep their 
fvet in much sounder condition, if their frogs could be brought into use, 
without being guarded as they are by the ordinary shoe. This part is 
intended by nature to take upon itself great pressure ; and if it has not 
its natural stimulus it becomes weak itself, and, moreover, it does not 
stimulate the surrounding parts to a healthy action, as it ought to do. 
he bar-shoe is inconvenient for many purposes, and, therefore, it is not 
generally applied ;. but as a curative agent these objections are to be dis- 
pensed with, and then it will be found to be extremely valuable, not only 
in relieving the diseased part (the corn), but in giving a healthy action to 
its seat, the sole. The smith should, therefore, pare down the crust at the 
heel, so that when the bar-shoe is applied it will allow a penny-piece to be 
insinuated between the two surfaces. With this the horse does his work 
comfortably on the road; and in process of time, that is, in two or three 
months, the keel grows up, and takes its own share of pressure, or a part 
of it, becoming gradually accustomed to the amount which it will have to 
bear when the bar-shoe is discontinued. In the meantime a little of the 
following lotion may be applied daily to the situation of the corn by 
means of a feather. 
Makevot Chloridevot“incles 6 + 2 se ee « ee ee el drachme: 
WVAGEr Eas sy Lette fs te en ie ss BE Re Gcozas 
Giyeaanyy 6 9 6 6 oO 8 0 6 6.6 co oo) Yroe Nibbe. 
In every case, the bar-shoe must be continued until the heel of the crust 
and the bar grow down strongly; and then a common shoe may be 
applied, as directed in Chap. XXXII. 
SANDCRACK., 
IN THE ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE Foot, at page 448, it will be 
seen that the crust is composed of fibres, running parallel to each other in 
a direction from the coronet to the ground surface. These fibres are glued 
together firmly in a sound and strong hoof; but, in a weak one, it some- 
times happens that the gelatinous matter is not in sufficient quantity, and 
then the fibres separate, and leave a crack of greater or less extent, 
according to circumstances. This, called a sandcrack, happens at the 
thinnest part, which is the inner quarter in the fore foot, and the toe in 
the hind. Zo cure it, the foot must be rested, or at least that part of it 
where the crack occurs, which in the fore foot may be effected by the use 
of a bar-shoe, throwing the pressure entirely on the frog, as recommended 
in the last section on corns, and taking care that the crust behind the 
crack is not in contact with the shoe. By adopting this plan, I have suc- 
ceeded in curing sandcracks during moderate work ; but if it happens in 
the hind foot, complete rest must be given, as the toe cannot be relieved 
by any possible contrivance. The next thing to be done is ts open the 
erack slightly, so that any grit getting into it shall not cause its further 
expansion ; and in doing this, if there is any little cellular cavity, it 
should be exposed. If the crack extends to the coronet, which it rarely 
does, nothing can be done until it has grown out for at least half an inch 
from that part, when the point of a hot iron may be applied to the angle 
of the crack for a second, so as to keep out water, which has the effect of 
