70 



weight of a horse is thrown on its foot, the pastern descends, the 

 lateral cartilages yield and bend outwards at the top of the hoof, about 

 the middle of the cartilage, whilst the top of the cartilage bends over 

 and inwards, acting like a spring, letting the weight of the Hmb gently 

 down on to the fatty frog, which, in turn, presses on the insensitive 

 horny frog, bringing it in contact with the ground, and thus preventing 

 concussion. But, when a horse is shod with high, or turned up heels, 

 the horny frog becomes displaced, as it were, and thrown out of work, 

 and all the weight is put on to the lateral cartilages, which, in time, 

 through having all their own work, as well as that of the frog 

 to do, become ossified, and form side-bones, and this process may 

 go on, without any inconvenience or lameness. Shoeing-smiths — 

 particularly those in the country — have the very great fault of cutting 

 away the sides of the horny frog, yet it ought never to be touched. 

 When side-bones cause lameness, remove the shoe, and apply cold 

 water poultices, until the inflammation and pain has abated, then ease 

 the shoe, or substitute a bar shoe (Plate XV., No. 5) ; this removes the 

 pressure from the quarters, and throws weight on the frog. Although 

 in a very great proportion of cases, there is no accompanying lameness, 

 yet the animals step short, still they can do their work with little or 

 no inconvenience; nevertheless, they are always considered as unsound. 

 Both sides of the foot may be affected with side-bone, or merely one. 

 When they are very large, and cause much lameness, the hoof is cut 

 through, with a special saw, at the quarter, from top to bottom, in 

 two places, just below, and at either side of the side-bone ; then, with 

 a special shoeing-knife, the sole is divided from 'the crust at the white line, 

 at the bottom of the foot, when the piece becomes loose, and, on the 

 horse puttmg its weight on the foot, the saw-cuts spring open, and 

 have to Le filled in with beeswax. A bar shoe is then put on, a blister 

 applied to the band of the hoof, and in a few months the foot expands, 

 and the horse goes sound. 



194. Sandcrack is described by many writers as a solution of 

 continuity in the wall of the hoof. My definition is : — A fissure, or 

 separation, of the horny, fibrous tubes, to a greater or less extent. It 



