130 Management and Treatment of the Horse. 



substance wliich is its proper function. When a 

 frog is in a healthy condition the cleft sinks but 

 a small way into the foot ; contraction, however, 

 or any other disease, often affects the cleft so 

 that it extends in length and often penetrates 

 deep into the sensitive frog, and it is through 

 this deep and diseased fissure that the matter 

 from the thrush discharges itself. Any com- 

 plaint which affects the healthy condition of the 

 foot will induce thrush, which, differing from 

 most diseases of the foot, is mostly the worst in 

 the hind feet, especially in horses kept in the 

 stable. This can be accounted for by unclean- 

 liness and bad stable management, and that the 

 hind feet are subject to the baneful effects of 

 being immersed in the dung and urine, producing 

 irritation and generating disease. Besides, the 

 hind feet are farther removed from the centre of 

 circulation than the fore feet, which consequently 

 subjects them to an accumulation of matter and 

 grease, as well as other affections to which they 

 are liable. Contraction is generally the cause of 

 thrush in the fore feet, and contraction is caused 

 chiefly by bad shoeing and neglect of the foot of 

 the unshod colt, therefore I contend that I am 

 within bounds when I assert that thrush is caused 

 by man's neglect. A horse may have thrush 

 without being lame, as it often happens that no 

 alteration whatever is to be seen on the foot 

 thus diseased, and it may require a close inspec- 

 tion to detect that it is diseased, but it will 

 always be manifested by the disagreeable smell 

 that invariably accompanies this complaint. In 



