74 EXAMINATION OF HORSES 



" nerving," then all other injuries declare themselves 

 through paiii^ or if of a painless character, can usually 

 be seen. 



Brittle hoof is an unsoundness when it won't bear the 

 nails with which the shoe is fastened. You may, and 

 often have, " seedy toe " as a complication. Brittle 

 hoof is frequently present in the autumn when the coat 

 is being cast. You then often find a dry, dead coat; 

 and, as hair and hoof are identical tissues, the hoof 

 also suffers with the coat. Prolonged derangement of 

 the digestive organs will also similarly affect these 

 structures at any time. It may be also due to con- 

 gested feet ; if so you have increased heat, quite per- 

 ceptible to the feel, and if you have not a "feely" 

 ambling gait, this is soon induced in the way before 

 described. In this latter case the brittleness will be 

 of a permanent character very likely, but in the former 

 far more temporary, but yet an unsoundness. 



Pricks in shoeing may be of any magnitude, from the 

 simple " drawback," to use the smith's phraseology, to 

 a suppurating sinus appearing at the top of the hoof 

 (Quittor). In their minor forms they will be detected 



by 



1. Lameness. 



2. A left-out nail 



3. Tapping the sole and wall with a hammer. 



Gathered nails almost invariably penetrate the highest 

 part of the arch formed by the sole (the point of the 

 frog), and give rise to marked lameness. 



