262 THE HORSE 



quittor, but If no "vet" can be had, take the curved 

 end of a horse-shoer's knife and pare through the sole 

 of the foot at the point where you have detected the 

 quittor. When the place is reached the pus will spurt 

 out to the great relief of the horse. The cavity should 

 be well washed with clean, warm water, and then the 

 horse should be tubbed in a solution of corrosive sub- 

 limate — one tablet for every quart of water — the 

 water being deep enough in the tub to cover the pastern. 



In case the quittor has been neglected until it breaks 

 open of itself above the hoof, another opening should 

 be made through the sole, and treated as above de- 

 scribed. This is necessary because the pus will not fully 

 discharge Itself at the coronet. Quittors are. In most 

 cases, incurable. 



A quittor used to be called "gravel In the hoof — 

 the theory being that gravel worked up through the sole 

 of the foot and made an outlet for itself above the 

 hoof. This, It Is now known, would be Impossible, and 

 the real cause of the quittor Is always inflammation 

 inside of the hoof. 



SIDE-BONES AND RING-BONES 



These troubles are very common, especially with 

 heavy horses, and they are often Inherited — or at least 

 the tendency to have them Is Inherited, and when the 

 horse Is used on hard roads, or shod with high calks, 

 the disease develops. Colts whose feet have been 

 neglected, particularly if their toes have been allowed 

 to become too long, often show side-bones or ring- 

 bones even before they have been put to work. 



