THE AKMY HORSE. 93 



parallel to the cleft of the fro^-; then eiit a strip about 1 ineh 

 wide to act as a keeper; the ends of this strip are pressed under 

 the shoe, the strip passing across the foot from quarter to 

 quarter. 



QUITTOR. 



A quittor is a running sore, situated on the coronet of the 

 foot, -with one or more tubes (sinuses) leading in a downward 

 direction and discharging pus. 



Causes. — Pricks in shoeing; punctures of the sole and frog; 

 bruises or suppurating corns. 



Symptoms. — A swelling on the coronet, presenting a pecu- 

 liarly unhealthy appearance, and in the center of which are one 

 or more sinuses communicating with the diseased structures 

 inside of the foot. In nearly all cases the horse is very lame. 



Treatment. — Find out, if possible, what has caused the quit- 

 tor. If it is the result of a nail prick or a festered corn, open 

 it up on the underside of the foot, allow the pus to run out, and 

 then treat as described later. If no nail prick or corn can be 

 found, treat the quittor from above, by injecting into the sin- 

 uses one of the following solutions: Carbolic acid, 1 to 20; 

 creolin, 1 to 25; bichloride of mercury, 1 to 500. This treat- 

 ment should be continued for several days, at the end of which 

 period, if the parts do not appear in a healthier condition, in- 

 ject into the tubes 1 dram of bichloride of mercury well shaken 

 up in 1 ounce of water. This will cause a separation of the 

 diseased walls of the tube from the healthy parts of the foot. 

 Poultices of flaxseed meal assist this separation. Keep the 

 parts clean and wash out with carbolic acid or creolin as at 

 first. If the sore does not heal under this treatment a surgical 

 operation will be necessary, 



QUARTf:R CRACKS AND TOE CRACKS. 



A toe or quarter crack (often called a sand crack) is a split 

 in the horn of the wall; the positicm of the crack determines 

 the name applied to it. Horses with thin, weak quartei-s are 

 predisposed to quarter crack. 



Causes. — Excessive dryness of the hoof; alternate changing 

 from danq) to dry; heavy shoes; large nails, and nails set too 

 far back toward the heels. 



ISymptoms. — The crack generally starts at the coronary 

 baml and irraduallv extends (lownward to the lower lx)rder of 



