34 



HORSE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



promising, yet there are other things to 

 be considered. It may be well formed, 

 yet thin and weak; and those feet ex- 

 ternally the most perfect, are sometimes 

 contracted internally, and are liable to 

 the insidious affection termed navicular, 

 or joint capsular disease. Contraction is 

 a serious defect ; it is apparent and gen- 

 eral, or occult (hidden) and partial. 



When apparent externally, which is 

 very common among high-bred horses, 

 with light heads and necks, high in the 

 withers with sloping shoulders, and that 

 go near the ground, the foot presents 

 more an oblong than a circular shape; 

 the curved line towards the heels becom- 

 ing straight, .and the heels approaching 

 each other. The frog is hard, dry, and 

 compressed, the foot small, and the heels 

 upright. Altogether the foot more re- 

 sembles that of a mule than a horse. 



But though a contracted foot it, often 

 an indication of past disease, and there 

 is a diminution of elasticity, it by no 

 means follows that it is an unsoundness, 

 or incapacitates a horse from work. 

 With care, such feet will work soundly 

 to the end of their lives ; for this change 

 in shape has been effected by gradual 

 and slow absorption and deposit ; so that 

 nature has had time to adapt the internal 

 parts and accommodate itself to the 

 change, for elongation of the foot has 

 taken place. When such feet feel hotter 

 than ordinary, distrust should be awak- 

 ened, more especially if there is a marked 

 difference between the temperature of one 

 and the other. If there is indisputable 

 pointing, then the horse is unsound. 



Occult or partial contraction is not ob- 

 vious externally, but there is diminished 

 cavity of the horny box from increase of 

 the sole in^bickness. In this case we 

 usually find the foot of a circular figure 

 more upright than natural, and displaying 

 unusual appearance of compactness of 

 force and strength, the soles usually hard 

 and thick; and if you have a firm, un- 

 yielding sole in a circular foot, it is a rock 

 of danger and the forerunner of navicular 

 disease. 



The inner quarter of the hoof must be 

 most minutely inspected for sand-crack; 

 and it is not always easy, without minute 

 scrutiny, to detect a sand-crack, where an 

 attempt has been made to conceal it. A 



month's run in marshy ground will often 

 close it up, and low dealers, particularly 

 at fairs and markets, and others who gain 

 a livelihood by dealing in " screws," have 

 a knack of neatly covering the crack with 

 pitch, and the foot oiled, so as adroitly to 

 conceal the crack. Any oily appearance 

 about the hoof should excite suspicion, 

 and any fissure at all resembling sand- 

 crack should cause the horse to be per- 

 emptorily rejected. Cracks indicate a dry 

 and brittle hoof. The heels should be 

 examined for any cracks, or appearance 

 of heat and tenderness, as they are ex- 

 ceedingly troublesome to cure. 



The frog, in its healthy state, must be 

 firm, yet pliable and elastic. If there is 

 any smell, or if on squeezing the frog 

 matter exudes, there is a thrush. By 

 many people thrushes are considered of 

 little importance ; but when it is consid- 

 ered that where there is purulent matter 

 there must have been inflammation ; and 

 that when a horse with a thrush steps on 

 a stone, he frequently drops with the pain 

 as if he was shot, to the peril of his rider 

 and the ruin of his knees, it must be ad- 

 mitted they are serious objections in a 

 saddle horse. If it can be ascertained 

 that they are not of long standing, or 

 that the horse has been placed in a situ- 

 ation so as to favor their approach, such 

 as confinement in a hot moist litter, they 

 are of no more consequence than so 

 much diminution in his price as will cover 

 the expense of keep and attendance while 

 healing; but when a thrush accompanies 

 a foot smaller than usual, the heels wind 

 in, and the frog rotten, let him go as he 

 will, he will not long remain sound. 



The sole of the foot should be subject 

 to close examination; in its healthy and 

 natural state it is inclined to be concave, 

 but if in connection with high heels an 

 extraordinary concavity is present, it is a 

 sign of internal contraction; if the sole 

 is morbidly thick, and does not give way 

 during great exertion, the elasticity of the 

 foot must be diminished. If the sole is 

 less concave than natural, or approaching 

 to flat, the foot is weak. 



If the foot appears to have been cut 

 unusually deep at the angles where the 

 shoe meets the inside heel, or if there is 

 any peculiarity of shoeing at that part, 

 the examiner may infer all is not right, 

 and that he has corns ; and if he waits 



