Side-bones anff Softening of Bones 225 



sore oxidizes the dead tissue, destroys the pus and 

 cleans up the bone nicely, without injuring or irritat- 

 ing the living tissues. When injected, this medicine 

 should cause the sore to foam like soda-water if pus 

 is present. 



"SIDE -BONES" 



On either side of the foot of the horse, at the top 

 of the hoof and close to the heel, can be felt a piece 

 of cartilage. These are the "lateral cartilages." These 

 allow the fatty frog and soft tissues of the heel to 

 expand as the horse brings his weight on his foot. 

 In heavy draft horses especially, there is a tendency 

 for these cartilages to turn to bone, causing a condition 

 known as "side -bones." These side -bones can be felt 

 as a hard piece of bone in the place of the cartilages, 

 and can not be bent with the fingers. In heavy draft 

 horses or those not used for driving on the road, side- 

 bones are of little importance, as they seldom interfere 

 with the animal in any way. In horses intended for driv- 

 ing, side-bones may cause lameness, and such animals 

 are considered unsound. The only treatment for this 

 condition is to have the side -bones removed by a surgi- 

 cal operation. 



SOFTENING OF BONES 



In animals, especially when young, there frequently 

 occurs a softening of the bone, which allows them to 

 bend and become deformed. This deformity may also 

 occur in young animals when the body is unusually 

 heavy, and they attempt to walk before the legs are 



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