218 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



for a wliile. Place on the foot a bar-shoe with a low heel. 

 If the animal remains lame after treatment, the practitioner 

 should not despair, as he may go to work, and the lameness 

 gradually decrease, and finally cease. ' In many cases 

 where I have blistered and fired repeatedly with only slight 

 improvement (the animal being put to work), lameness 

 eventually ceased ' (Smith). 



OSSIFICATION OF THE LATERAL CARTILAGES. 



This condition is also known by the more common name 

 of 'sidebones.' The lateral cartilages consist of two fibro- 

 cartilaginous plates or sheets, situated partly within and 

 partly external to the hoof, the anterior edge being in con- 

 nection with the navicular joint, and the postero-inferior 

 border with the deeper parts of the foot. They are designed 

 to allow expansion of the heel to take place when the foot 

 is placed upon the ground, and serve to restore the heel to 

 its original shape on the foot being removed from the 

 ground. These cartilages are subject to inflammatory 

 action, as a result of which they may become ossified, and 

 give rise to a very troublesome lameness. 



Causes. — Sidebones are of much more common occurrence 

 in heavy than in any other class of horses — the Clydesdales, 

 Normans, etc., being the most frequent sufferers. In some 

 animals, sidebones may be due to an hereditary tendency; 

 and, as the predisposition can be transmitted from the sire 

 or dam to the progeny, an animal affected in this way 

 should never be used for the purpose of breeding. Ossifica- 

 tion of the lateral cartilages occurring in a heavy draught 

 horse does not constitute a very serious condition, generally 

 speaking, and unless causing lameness the animal may be 

 passed as sound. However, in making an examination, 

 attention should be called to their presence. On the con- 

 trary, if met with in a light horse, whether producing actual 



