114 AMERICAN FARMER'S. HORSE BOOK. 



forced outward by the swelling within, and grows out of all 

 symmetry, until the horse is completely ruined. Who has 

 not seen the dreadful results of founder in the wide-spreading 

 hoof, the toe turned up, or elongated, sometimes even six or 

 eight inches, and the bottom of the foot flat and smooth ? 



There are other circumstances that give rise to founder of 

 more frequent operation, in many sections, than over-eating 

 and drinking. The horse first overheated, and then allowed 

 suddenly to cool ; or brought from the cold and wet into a 

 warm stable, where his feet are enveloped in straw and hot 

 dung ; or ridden or driven very hard in the cold, and, after 

 standing hitched to a post, fetlock-deep in mud, removed to 

 a warm, close stable, a horse thus treated is a fine subject 

 for founder. The feet are chilled in the cold, and heated in 

 the stable, and it would be surprising if they could continue 

 long to stand such usage. If fairly treated, and not other- 

 wise diseased, the horse will never have the founder. . 



One disease of the feet, generally occurring in the fore- 

 feet, is so commonly found associated with founder, that it 

 is difficult not to believe that it is the principal cause of 

 the mischief. In hundreds of cases of founder examined by 

 the writer, there was not one entirely free from hoof rot. 

 In most cases this had been working for weeks, or even 

 months, before. The evil consequences of this condition of 

 the feet have been greatly overlooked. 



To sum up the matter, we record it as our opinion that, 

 if the feet ♦of the horse are not previousl}^ diseased, and 

 have not been bruised or otherwise injured, there wull be no 

 founder ; that what is known as founder is^only a very high 

 and sudden rise of inflammation in the feet from a disease 

 already existing there ; that hoof rot is the cause of chronic 

 founder, or established inflammation of the feet, and nine- 

 tenths of all the cases of founder which occur; and that 

 many a lameness in the horse, which receives no attention 

 from the owner, is an evidence of the existence of disease, 

 which may develop into chronic founder under any one of 

 a variety of unfavorable circumstances to which the animal 



