FEET OF THE HORSE AND THEIR DISEASES. 293 



No change need be made in the shoeing, except to stuff tar and tow 

 over the nail-hole, under the shoe. If nail wounds are neglected lock 

 jaw is very apt to follow. 



VI. Acute Founder or Laminitis. 



Founder is of two kinds, acute and chronic. It is acute where, when 

 it first takes place, all the symptoms are aggravated and the disease is 

 attended with more or less fever. It is chronic when it has been of long 

 standing and the diseased condition has taken an organized form, will 

 remain as it is and become a part of the organized system, but is not 

 attended by any fever, other than a slight local heat. 



The inner surface of the wall of the hoof has horny leaves or laminae, 

 very fine and near together, running up and down. On the outer surface 

 of the bone of the foot are sensitive, fleshy leaves that dovetail, as it 

 were, into the leaves on the wall of the hoof. On these leaves is borne 

 the weight of the entire body. 



Causes. — Sometimes it is caused by overwork, in which the feet are 

 pounded, and sored up, causing inflammation in tlie leaves. But founder 

 is usually a metastatic disease — one that originates in some 

 other part of the body and goes to the feet by a peculiar trans- 

 ference called metastasis. It may originate in congestion of | 

 the lungs, pleurisy, inflammation of the bowels or periton- 

 eum (the membrane holding the bowels in place) or in almost 

 any part of the body. Drinking cold water when warm, or ^^?^^,^^J" 

 standing in a draft when heated will cause it. sole. 



How to know it. — The acute form is easily recognized b}^ f'^^^^'^^^^^'l^^'^ 

 the horse being in great pain, persistently standing in one P^-^'ced foot. 

 place, as if riveted there, it lacing almost impossible to move him an inch 

 in any direction, especially backward. He absolutely cannot back, but 

 will hang the body back, throwing most of the weight on the hind legs, 

 and stretching the fore legs as far forward as possible. If the animal 

 tries to lift a foot it fails and acts as though the foot were fastened to the 

 floor. 



The pulse is quickened, temperature raised, the mucous membianei 

 become red and injected ; the breathing is quickened as though there were 

 some lung trouble; sweating is profuse, he will not lie down, and the 

 appetite is lost for the time. The characteristic symptom i* the inability 

 to back ; if you try to force the animal to back, it will swing the body 

 back, without moving the feet. When thoroughly exhausted from stand- 

 ing, the horse will drop down, and will lie much of the time afterwards. 



The inflammation in the bones of the hoof is followed by an effusion of 

 water which severs the connection between the leaves by maceration, 

 19 



