7 8 DISEASES OF THE FEET, ETC. 



found from either of the above causes, examine his frog, 

 a stone bruise may lame him ; if such is found, a cooling 

 poultice of fresh cow-droppings will relieve that in a few 

 days, if such is not to be had use flaxseed-meal. If, how- 

 ever, he is not lame from any of the above causes, con- 

 clude he is strained ; if there is no swelling or any exter- 

 nal symptom by which you can determine where it is, 

 of course you are all in the dark, and all you can do is to 

 give htm rest, take off shoes, and turn out in grass if the 

 season and circumstances suit ; if not, rest him in the 

 stable ; it is not at all improbable but that he may get 

 well from rest alone. 



2d. Loins. To discover if his lameness proceeds from 

 a strain, run your thumb and forefinger, apart, along 

 his back across his loin, pressing a little ; if he flinches 

 press a little more ; a decided soreness, there is evidence 

 of injury. If of recent occurrence, a sheep-skin fresh from 

 the slaughtered animal may relieve him ; but be careful 

 how you approach him with it, as some horses have a 

 horror of blood ; that and rest, with occasional rubbing, 

 may save him, but in all cases the cure is doubtful. 



3d. Front Feet. If, on the contrary, your horse should 

 be lame in front, examine his foot by the same rule as be- 

 hind ; if nothing there, feel his pastern-joint; no fever or 

 swelling there, keep on examining; but if there should be 

 fever and swelling, then stand him in water, if you can, 

 up and over the joint; if you cannot do that, squirt water 

 from a hose on it for fifteen minutes at a time, as often as 

 you can for a few days ; it will come all right. But if no- 

 thing is the matter, look higher up ; a splint interfering 

 with a tendon might lame him ; this is a bony growth 

 from the cannon-bone, about the size of a large pea to 

 that of a walnut, but it so seldom lames a horse that I 

 would examine it carefully before doing anything to it. 



