rEET OF THE HORSE AND THEIR DISEASES. 



303 



and let the frog come right down to the ground. Set the shoes once ev- 

 ery three or four weeks, and repeat the above treatment each time, and in 

 the course of three or four months, you will have a decent foot. There 

 are several methods of spreading the heels by force, but in the long run 

 they are all impracticable, and cannot be recommended. In addition to 

 the above treatment, the feet may be packed with any soft packing, or a 

 wet sponge held to the sole by any one of the many devices for that pur- 

 pose ; or the horse may be stood in a soak tub of either hot or cold water 

 f. couple of hours in the forenoon, and the same in the afternoon ; or 

 i tand him in a clay puddle, as prescribed for founder. 



A LOW HEELED, FLAT FOOT. 

 Seldom afflicted with contraction 



A STRONG, UPRIGHT, 

 HIGH HEELED FOOT. 



Predisposed to contraction. 



rv. Gravel. 



Causes.— Gravel is apt to work up into a sore of any kind in the foot, 

 and cause'great pain, irritation and lameness. It often gets into a corn, 

 or into a nail hole, made either by a prick in shoeing, or by a nail picked 

 up in the road. It may get into a quarter crack, calk, or any wound 

 whatever, and always causes an increased inflammation, and aggravates 

 any existing difficulty. 



How to know it.— Examine the wound carefully, to avoid pushing the 

 gravel farther in. Jt will be readily detected by feeling hard, grating 

 grains in the wound, or by the dirty appearance of the wound itself ; it 

 will look black and unhealthy. 



If neglected, it will work up through and break out at the top, forming 

 a quitton It sometimes gets into a crack that forms between the wall 

 of the quarter and the sole, either from the sole shrinking away from the 

 wall, or the wall being broken away from the sole. 



What to do.— Trim the hoof away around the opening, ao as to have 

 plenty of room, then wash it out, rinse it out with a syringe, by shooting 



