DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE 313 



heels first. Press around the feet with a pincers or your 

 hands and the animal will flinch. After a time, from trying 

 to favor his feet, the muscles of the chest will gradually waste 

 away and leave it hollow. This must not mislead you and 

 make you think there is anything wrong with the chest. 

 When the chest falls away some call it chest founder, but 

 this is a mistaken idea. There is no such thing as chest 

 founder, the whole trouble arising in the feet. 



Treatment. — Treatment is not very satisfactory in some 

 cases. If a valuable animal, soak the feet well in warm water 

 and salt. Use a tub containing six or eight inches of water; 

 leave the feet in the water two or three hours at a time, twice 

 a day; every night put on a hot poultice of half linseed and 

 bran and leave it on all night. After the soreness is pretty 

 well out, blister around the top of the hoof with the follow- 

 ing: 



Pulverized Cantharides or Spanish Fly 2 drams. 



Vaseline or Lard 1 ounce. 



Mix and apply all of it around the tops of both front feet 

 and turn the horse out to pasture for a long time. Grease 

 and blister the third day. After the horse is all right and he 

 is brought in to work again let him stand on a ground floor, 

 for an animal once affected with this disease is more liable to 

 be affected again. Be careful in shoeing; we recommend the 

 bar shoe. If necessary to keep him shod, and he is not of 

 much value, keep him on a ground floor and pack the feet 

 every night with cow manure, blue clay, or anything that will 

 keep the moisture in the foot. Even in very bad cases, 

 blistering and turning out to pasture for a while will help it. 



3. Club (Pumiced) Foot. 



Causes. — This is the result of the foot bone becoming 

 separated from the inside of the walls and dropping down 

 upon the sole and frog. It is generally the result of a 

 neglected case of acute founder. A horse thus affected is 

 rendered practically useless for road work, but may be fixed 

 up sufficiently well to do slow work on the farm. 



Treatment. — Blister around the tops of the hoofs, as in a 

 case of chronic founder, turn him out to pasture and shoe 

 with a heavy shoe well corked up and well bevelled out so 

 that the weight does not fall upon the sole. Try to have the 

 weight thrown entirely upon the wall and have the shoes set 

 regularly once a month. 



