452 ROLLING. 



the heel of the shoe, and loosen or displace it ; or the two shoes may be locked 

 together, and the animal may be thrown ; or the contusion may be received even 

 higher, and on the tendons of the leg, and considerable swelling and lameness 

 may follow. 



If the animal is young, the action of the horse may be materially improved ; 

 otherwise nothing can be done, except to keep the toe of the hind foot as short 

 and as round as it can safely be, and to bevil off and round the toe of the shoe, 

 like that which has been worn by a stumbler for a fortnight, and, perhaps, a 

 little to lower the heel of the fore foot. 



A blow received on the heel of the fore foot in this manner has not unfre- 

 quently, and especially if neglected, been followed by quittor *. 



The heel most frequently suffers in overreaching, although the pastern is 

 sometimes injured. It usually or almost always occurs in fast paces on deep 

 ground. The injury is inflicted by the edge of the inner part of the shoe. The 

 remedy is the cutting away the edge of the shoe. An account of the most suc- 

 cessful treatment of overreach has been given in page 392. 



PAWING. 



Some hot and irritable horses are restless even in the stable, and paw frequently 

 and violently. Their litter is destroyed, the floor of the stable broken up, the 

 shoes worn out, the feet bruised, and the legs sometimes sprained. If this habit 

 does not exist, to any great extent, yet the stable never looks well. Shackles 

 are the only remedy, with a chain sufficiently long to enable the horse to shift 

 his posture, or move in his stall ; but these must be taken off at night, other- 

 wise the animal will seldom lie down. Except, however, the horse possesses 

 peculiar value, it will be better to dispose of him at once, than to submit to 

 the danger and inconvenience that he may occasion. 



QUIDDING. 



A horse will sometimes partly chew his hay, and suffer it to drop from his 

 mouth. If this does not proceed from irregular teeth, which it will be the busi- 

 ness of the veterinary surgeon to rasp down, it will be found to be connected 

 with sore-throat, and then the horse will exhibit some other symptom of indis- 

 position, and particularly, the swallowing of water will be accompanied by a 

 peculiar gulping effort. In this case the disease (catarrh, with sore throat) 

 must be attacked, and the quidding will cease. 



ROLLING. 



This is a ver^ pleasant and perfectly safe amusement for a horse at grass, but 

 cannot be indulged in the stable without the chance of his being dangerously 



* Mr. Simpson relates an interesting though from the corresponding foot behind. In order 



unfortunate case of this interference after to remedy this, the toe of the hind foot was 



the operation of neurotomy : " An old but ordered to be shortened as much as possible, 

 splendid horse had been sadly lame in the off '* Four days afterwards he was driven again 



fore-foot during some months. M:my plans with the same contusions, but did not appear 



of treatment were adopted, without the desired to feel the slightest pain, either when the 



effect; and at length it was determined to blows werp inflicted or when he was examined 



have recourse to neurotomy. A portion of the again some days afterwards, 

 metacarpal nerve was excised on both sides, just " There was not the same activity in this foot 



above the fetlock. Three weeks afterwards, that there had been before the operation, and 



the horse being quite free from lameness, he it could not get out of the way of the hind 



was put into harness, and driven about twelve foot, a circumstance that would hardly have 



miles. He appeared to go very well, but, on been expected, for it is the general belief that, 



arriving at his journey's end, it was found that although sensation is destroyed in the foot, the 



the off hind-foot was covered with blood, and locomotive powers of the leg are unimpaired, 



the heels of the neurotomised foot were dread- This deserves future inquiry." The Veteri- 



fully bruised and cut, from repeated blows narian, vol. viii. p. 242. 



