Common Diseases of the Horse 255 



while the foot has been injured, more or less blood has escaped, 

 and this may have happened inside the foot and not be seen at 

 all. If the offending nail is clean, all may be well, but if dirt}-, 

 trouble invariably follows. 



3. By the nail being driven through the quick and allowed to 

 remain in position. This is known as a "prick". The lameness 

 that follows may be immediate, or, again, delayed for a time, but 

 usually it is the former. If the horse is sent out to work, he will 

 often come back on three legs, as he will hardly be able to put his 

 foot to the ground. 



4. By the nails being driven too near to the outer wall, i.e. too 

 fine, so that the horn splits. If this is allowed to go on for long, 

 the foot, after a few shoeings, will assume a shelly appearance, and 

 give one the impression that it is unsound. 



Symptoms. — Lameness and pain in the foot, may be diagnosed 

 by heat round the coronet and hoof, throbbing of the bloodvessels 

 in the neighbourhood, and, lastly and best, by applying pressure, 

 when the horse will soon show the seat of the injury by flinching. 

 To detect the injured part, the foot may be tapped gently with 

 a hammer over each nail; or squeezed all round with the pincers, 

 one jaw over the nails, the other on the sole, when usually the 

 offending nail can be located. 



Treatment. — The nail must be withdrawn at once. If it has 

 only been a " bind ", the hole may be disinfected with 5 per cent 

 carbolic solution, a little tow and tar, and a leather applied. If, 

 however, the " bind " has been followed by the formation of matter, 

 or it has been a " drawback " or " prick ", after which matter has 

 formed, the removal of the nail will be followed by a black fluid or 

 matter. In this case it is absolutely necessary that it all be allowed 

 to escape. For this purpose the hole must be opened up with a 

 fine-ended drawing knife, and the cavity explored until it is certain 

 that its depth has been reached. It may be necessary to remove 

 some parts of the sole, which often gets underrun with the matter. 

 After this has been done, the cavity may be disinfected and a little 

 carbolic ointment applied and kept in position by tow and a leather. 

 The latter need not be caught by the nails, so that it can be slipped 

 in and out, and the wound examined and redressed without remov- 

 ing the shoe. Lameness generally continues for a few days, until 

 the soreness wears off, and if there is much pain it may be relieved 

 by placing the foot in hot baths, to which a little disinfectant has 

 been added. The formation of matter in the foot is serious, but 

 not dangerous if it is allowed to escape early. Neglect leads to 

 quittor, and often results in the death of the horse. 



