CAUSES OF UNSOUNDNESS. 105 



have been known to deceive unwary purchasers 

 by neatly filling in the indentation with gutta- 

 percha. 



Canker. 



This is a most intractable malady, affecting the 

 sole, the frog, and, in advanced cases, the wall as 

 well. If a buyer neglects to pick up the foot he 

 may easily overlook the existence of this disease, 

 and to purchase a horse with it is certainly buying 

 the worst trouble that horses suffer from. There 

 is no difficulty in recognizing it, the offensive odour 

 being quite sufficient. It attacks either the fore, or 

 hind feet, or it may be one fore, and one hind, or 

 all four feet. Most veterinarians regard it as in- 

 curable, but this is hardly correct. 



Thrush of the Feet. 



This disease attacks the cleft of the frog either 

 of the fore or hind feet, but commonly the latter, 

 and it is often due to the idleness of the groom, the 

 hind feet becoming fouled with the excretions. 

 Although thrush may be a very simple matter in 

 some cases, and usually curable, it occasionally 

 causes lameness, the whole of the frog becoming 

 under-run through the disease, which is easily 



