DESTROYING THE FOOT. 301 



cure or prevent it. A regular allowance of roots and succulent 

 food that would keep the bowels acting pleasantly, and a constant 

 supply of water to carry ofiF all humours, would be far better 

 than all the medicine yet discovered. Stalls raised in front, and 

 low behind, with holes to let in the horses hind feet, help on the 

 mischief. 



746. — The horse should be put in a loose box, or some place 

 where he can at least turn round and lie down in peace and 

 comfort. Keep his skin at work with plenty of friction, and 

 great cleanliness. The cracked heels should be washed morning 

 and night, with warm water, and then painted over with finely 

 powdered charcoal, and flour of sulphur, in equal parts, mixed 

 with linseed oil to the consistence of thin paint. 



THRUSH 



747. — Is a diseased state of the frog caused by depriving 

 it of its natural work, cutting away its natural covering, and 

 bringing it in. contact with wet fetid matter, such as cow dung, 

 used for stopping, or horse dung and urine, allowed to accumulate 

 inside of a projecting shoe. With such treatment the frog often 

 becomes soft and tender, discharging a fluid with a strong 

 oflFensive smell. In this state no use can be made of it, and it 

 will take a long course of sensible treatment to restore it to 

 usefulness. The horse must go as best he can without a frog, 

 as most horses do, but if it is left uncut, kept clean, and the 

 tender, offensive cracks dusted with a little powdered blue stone, 

 a useful frog may eventually be grown, and may be kept useful 

 by treating it as recommended in the chapter on shoeing. 



SAND CRACKS. 



748. — Some breeds of horses have very brittle hoofs. These 

 sometimes crack open in the direction of the grain of the hoof 

 from top to bottom, so as to expose the extremely sensitive quick, 

 and cause lameness. They are most liable to do this in warm, 

 dry countries, but the disposition is decidedly hereditary. The 

 mischief is greatly aggravated by the common practice of putting 

 all the horse's weight on the unyielding outside crust of the 



