THEIJSH 129 



Is another disease of the foot of the horse, which, 

 however much veterinary surgeons and other 

 writers may say to the contrary, the author is 

 satisfied is mainly caused by man's neglect. It 

 is a disease that is observed in horses of all ages, 

 the colt in the farm-yard and the old and worn- 

 out carriage horse. Thrush in the foot of the 

 colt is produced by pressure and contraction of 

 the quarters, which is thereby diminished in size, 

 and the lower portion of the fleshy or sensitive 

 frog being confined is irritated and inflamed, 

 which induces ulceration, and when matured is 

 manifested by matter being discharged from the 

 cleft of the frog. The cause of this contraction 

 is attributable to neglect in not having the colt's 

 feet examined regularly, and the heels rasped 

 down and the toe shortened. We never see 

 thrush in the foot of a thorough-bred colt, from 

 the simple reason that their feet are not neglected. 

 It would not pay, for who would give four or five 

 hundred guineas for a thorough-bred colt, how- 

 ever good-looking he may be, if his feet were 

 rotten with thrush ? If neglect will not pay in 

 the race-horse, neither will it do so in the hack- 

 ney, carriage, or cart-horse, yet many farmers 

 and owners of young horses will risk contracting 

 thrush and numerous other diseases of the foot 

 for the sake of saving a few shillings ; and a few 

 indeed it is, for the foot if looked to once a month 

 would become sound and well formed, instead of 

 •weak, diseased, and malformed. During the 

 stage of inflammation the lower surface of the 

 sensible frog secretes pus, instead of the horny 



