244 DR. LEGEAB'S STOCK BOOK. 



joint. Improper shoeing is undoubtedly a very frequent caup 

 of coffin-joint lameness. This is brought about by raising or 

 lowering the heels too much, allowing the toe to grow too long,, 

 or any cause of changing the proper adjustment of the foot, etc. 

 The frog is nature's great cushion or support to the foot, and 

 when it is removed from the ground by paring or by high-heeled 

 shoes, the foot is then far more liable to diseases of various 

 kinds. The frog should be allowed to come on the ground, as 

 nature intended it should. 



Symptoms. This disease in most of cases comes on very grad- 

 ually. The horse is noticed slightly lame, or a little tender, for 

 one, two, or three days or a week, when it will disappear as 

 mysteriously as it came. In a few weeks the lameness returns, 

 but will be a little worse, and last a few days longer than the first 

 attack. It may continue to appear and disappear for three or 

 four attacks, when it is liable to come to stay. The horse points 

 the foot that is, places it out in front of the other and con- 

 traction may or may not be present. After a time contraction of 

 the heel, wasting of the frog, and in fact the whole foot gets 

 smaller than the healthy one. When both front feet are affected 

 the animal will first point one and then the other. By placing 

 the foot out in front it takes the strain off the flexor tendon and 

 the navicular bone, thus giving relief. The wall of the foot gets 

 hard, smooth, and glassy, and not rough and in ridges as in 

 founder. The animal has a tendency to stumble and wears the 

 toe of the shoe off first. The soreness of this disease is in the 

 heel, and the animal tries to bring his toe to the ground first, 

 while founder affects principally the toe of the foot, and the ani- 

 mal tries to get relief by standing and walking on its heels, ff 

 this disease is caused by a severe sprain or by an injury, the 

 symptoms will be more suddenly developed. He may improve 

 after a few days, and then take worse and run much the same 

 course as that described above. The advancement this disease 



