Common Diseases of the Horse i ^ i 



horse, and usually in the fore feet, although the hind are some- 

 times, but rarely, affected. Any number of the cartilages may 

 be attacked, but if only one or two, it is more commonly the 

 outside, although why this should be so is rather difficult to ex- 

 plain, as the weight of the horse would appear to fall more upon 

 the inside. The sidebone when complete invariably takes on the 

 same shape as the original cartilage, although it may be con- 

 siderably enlarged. Its position and shape and the condition of 

 the foot are of vast importance in deciding the future usefulness 

 of the horse. In light horses, the anterior part of the cartilage, 

 i.e. about the middle of the side of the foot, just above the coronet, 

 is almost the constant seat of the disease; in heavy horses it is 

 formed more towards the heel, and frequently the whole of the 

 structure is converted into a hard unyielding mass of bone. In 

 the former class of animal the condition must always be viewed 

 with the utmost suspicion, as sooner or later it will cause lameness, 

 and so render the animal useless for any work where speed is re- 

 quired. As regards the heavy breed, sidebone is an entirely different 

 matter, and if a number of town horses be examined, particularly 

 those which have been working two or three years, at least one-half 

 of them will be found affected. The proportion suffering from 

 lameness, however, will be infinitesimal. 



Some owners look upon the disease as beneficial, as it enables 

 them to procure horses at a less price than they would have to 

 pay for sound animals. They also contend that, sooner or later, 

 the disease will develop. With a good foot, composed of sound 

 horn, wide, deep, strong heels, with plenty of width round the 

 coronet, the sidebone need not be taken seriously into account 

 as regards the future wellbeing of the horse, although it will to 

 some extent affect the seller. The reduction in price is from 15 

 to 30 per cent. With the blocky upright hoof, narrow round 

 the coronet and across the heels, or in the flat, shelly hoof, weak 

 and fleshy in the heels, sidebone is a serious defect, particularly 

 if it is prominent anteriorly. It should further never be taken 

 lightly if accompanied by the slightest suspicion of ringbone, 

 as in time they tend to coalesce, and often cause incurable 

 lameness. 



The degree of elasticity or resilience of the cartilage will be 

 found to vary very much in different animals. In some they have 

 the feel of soft indiarubber, in others they will be found to be as 

 hard as the rubber tire of a trap. The latter are sometimes con- 

 demned, but to the writer's knowledge this condition often exists 

 in two-year- olds, continuing without the slightest change after 



