150 MANL^AL OF MODERN FARRIERl. 



hoofs have been subjected to a day's journey on a hard road. 

 It is easy to imagine that if, after the feet have been thus 

 heated, they should be washed and not immediately and tho- 

 roughly dried, or the animal allowed to stand, with his feet ex- 

 posed to a cold draught of any kind, that inflammation is likely 

 to ensue from this sudden change of temperature. This ob- 

 servation is equally applicable to the change from cold to heat. 

 Symptoms. — Inflammation in the feet is manifested by 

 restlessness and fidgety action of the fore legs, frequently 

 shifting the weight of resting from the one to the other. 

 But there is no appearance of pawing, or of elevating the 

 hind legs towards the belly, as in colic and other intestinal 

 complaints The pulse will rise to a pretty rapid state, 

 the flanks will heave, and the inside of the nostrils will 

 become very red, his countenance will exhibit an anxious 

 expression, and that he is sufi*ering pain will be indicated 

 by moaning. He will then scrutinize his litter, as if indi- 

 cating a wish to lie down, but will not do so immediately, 

 from an apparent fear of drawing his limbs together. He 

 still continues to shift the pressure of his weight from one 

 foot to the other, until impelled by pain and fatigue he at 

 length lies down. There is a marked distinction in respect 

 to his lying down between this and inflammation of the 

 lungs, for in the latter complaint the horse never lies down 

 until he drops under the influence of complete exhaustion. 

 When a horse which is afiected with inflammation of the feet 

 lies down, he invariably rests quietly, because the heat is 

 so much relieved from the removal of the weight of his 

 body ; whereas in colic and inflammation of the bowels, he 

 kicks and rolls about violently, and his constantly looking at 

 the part afiected as clearly shows the seat of the disease. 

 A little attention to these will soon point out to the inex- 

 perienced where the malady exists. 



