HORSES: THEIR POINTS AND MANAGEMENT 



in mind. Always raise the hair around the to]) of the hoof, 

 looking very carefully for evidence of the slightest fissure. It 

 may be that such has no greater breadth than that of a hair ; 

 nevertheless, it is an unsoundness, because of its liability to 

 extend. 



Supposing that the purchaser was willing to buy the horse 

 with this apparently slight defect, it is fair to assume that he 

 would obtain a reduction in the price of the animal. When 

 the fissure is limited to the horny wall it does not cause any 

 lameness, but directly — and this is its habihty — it extends or 

 exposes the sensitive structures of the foot, the latter (lameness) 

 is present. 



Treatment. — If the crack is superhcial, its extension can be 

 limited by an attempt at drawing a firing iron (red hot) across 

 its lowest points when its origin is from above, but if the split 

 begins from below, the transverse line must be near to the 

 coronet. There is a method known as clasping, which is a good 

 deal resorted to in dealing for sandcrack. This consists cf 

 cutting a notch out of the horn on each side of the crack, near 

 coronet. Leave about half an inch space between the split and 

 the notches. A horseshoe nail is now drawn out to a broad 

 flat point (reverse sided pointing), and driven in at one notch, 

 coming out from the other. The nail is drawn well home with 

 the pincers, so that the crack is kept well bolted — the nail being 

 subsequently clinched and rasped smooth. If the split is a long 

 one three or four clasps may be necessary. It should be dis- 

 tinctly understood that the nail must only penetrate the wall 

 of the hoof, therefore this method is only applicable when the 

 latter has a good thickness, as, for example, towards the toe or 

 front face of the hoof. 



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