83 



he not an ijnmediate cause thereof. To this conctu- 

 eion I am come the mor« positively, by reason of iho 

 absence of those secretory vessels in the feet of old, 

 foundered, or otherwise diseased horses ; which secre- 

 tions were designed to furnish the material for form- 

 ing new horn and giving elasticity to the tread. What 

 must follow, but brittle hoof, battered feet, or surbaling, 

 want of elasticity in the sensible frog and tendon, ac- 

 companied by inflammation, which is a cause, if not 

 caused by founder. 



But young horses sometimes, while breaking in, by 

 the violence that is deemed necessary, are foundered 

 by the rough rider, through the rupture or forcing as- 

 sunder the connection between the hoof and coffln. 

 bone, just spoken of. In such cases, the animal being 

 vigorous and the f >ot replete with juices, the coronet 

 is greatly affected by oozing out there, in its blood and 

 lymph state. If youth and general good health should 

 bring the animal through bis sufferings, its {eet will 

 ever after bear external marks of the internal injury. 



Symptoms. — Curved, wrinkled, or straited lioofs, 

 ever attend those animals which have been so over- 

 strained in youih, appearing as if the horn had been 

 carved or indented; which arises from the coronet 

 furnishing the horny material too luxuriantly, before it 

 has received sufficient concoction within the coffin- 

 bone, as before described. 



Lameness in one or both fore-feet, with evident 

 pain, and great heat in the whole fore foot, attend 

 founder in every case. At the tirst attack of acute 

 or violent founder, the horse is observed very restless 

 in his fore feet, which he endeavors to ease, by altern- 

 ately changing his position, and lying dow.T when he 

 should be t'eeding. He brings iiis hind legs far under 

 his belly for the same purpose, and if he is r«ujsed by 

 hunger or mandate, he lies down again. Considerable 

 altcraton takes place in the pulse, which indicates fe- 

 ver, and the patient breathes short with pain. The 

 progress of those sytnptofns is very rapid, seldom oc- 

 cupying more than a day or two. 



The slower or chronic founder begins with appar- 

 ently rheutnatic pains and awkwardness in going, for 



