810 THE HORSE. 



OSSIFICATION OF THE CARTILAGES 



We have spoken (page 288) of the side cartilages of the foot, occupying 

 (see cut, page 254) a considerable portion of the external side and back 

 part of the foot. They are designed to preserve the expansion of the upper 

 part of the foot, and to preserve il, when that of the lower part is limited or 

 destroyed by shoeing. These cartilages are subject to inflammation, and 

 the result of that inflammation is, that the cartilages are absorbed, and bone 

 is substituted in their stead. This ossification of the cartilages frequently 

 accompanies ringbone, but it may exist without any affection of the pastern- 

 joint. It is oftenest found in horses of heavy draught. It arises not so 

 much from concussion, as from a species of sprain, for the pace of the 

 horse is slow. The cause, indeed, is not well understood, but of the 

 effect we have too numerous instances. Very few heavy draught- horses 

 arrive at old age without this change of structure. 



In the healthy state of the foot, these cartilages will readily yield to the 

 pressure of the fingers on the coronet over the quarters, but, by degrees, 

 the resistance becomes greater, and at length bone is formed, and the parts 

 yield no more. No evident inflammation of the foot, or great, or perhaps 

 even perceptible lameness accompanies this change: a mere slight degree 

 of stiffness may have been observed, which, in a horse of more rapid pace, 

 would have been lameness. Even when the change is completed, there is 

 not in many cases any thing more than a slight increase of stiflness, little or 

 not at all interfering with the usefulness of the horse. When this altered 

 structure appears in the lighter horse, the lameness is more decided, and 

 means should be taken to arrest the progress of the change : these are 

 blisters or firing; but, after these parts have become bony, no operation will 

 restore the cartilage. 



Connected with ringbone, the lameness may be very great. This has 

 been spoken of in page 254. 



WEAKNESS OF THE FOOT. 



This is more accurately a bad formation, than a disease; often, indeea, 

 the result of disease, but in many instances the natural construction of the 

 foot. The term weak-foot is familiar to every horseman, and the conse- 

 quence is severely felt by all who liave to do with horses. In the slanting 

 of the crust from the coronet to the toe, a less angle is almost invariably 

 formed, amounting, probably, to not more than forty, instead of forty-five, 

 degrees; and after the horse has been worked for one or two years, the line 

 is not straight, but a little indented or hollow, midway between the coronet 

 and the toe. We have described this as the accompaniment of pumiced 

 feet, but it is often seen in weak feet, which, although they might become 

 pumiced by severity of work, do not otherwise have the sole convex. Thf> 

 crust is not only less oblique than it ought to be, but it has not the smooth, 

 even appearance of the good foot. The surface is sometimes irregularly 

 roughened, but it is muchoftener roughened in circles or rings. The form 

 of the crust likewise presents too much the appearance of a cone; the bot- 

 tom of the foot is unnaturally wide in proportion to the coronet ; and the 

 whole of the foot is generally, but not always, larger than it should be. 



When the foot is lifted, it will often present a round and circular 

 appearance, with a fullness of frog, that would mislead the inexperienced, 

 and indeed be considered as almost the perfection of structure; but, being 

 examined luore closely, many glaring defects will be seen. The sole is 

 flat, and the smith finds that it will bear little or no paring The i)ars are 



