330 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



miscluef and even rendering a horse useless. When corns have 

 been suffered to go this length, the foot must be poulticed, and all 

 the hollow horn cut away. After the inflammation has been thus 

 completely subdued, the sensible parts which have been laid 

 bare may be dressed with Friar's balsam, and the tar ointment, 

 or with a solution of sulphate of zinc. The radical cure of 

 corns is always practicable if taken early ; but in old cases, the 

 sensible parts will always I'cmain in a tender state, however care- 

 fully they may be treated, and will always require the defence 

 of the bar shoe, applied as I have described. A run at grass 

 without shoes is a great relief to a horse with corns, provided the 

 tender heel is cut down as I have described, and the heel and 

 quarter rasped very thin. When a radical cure is attempted, 

 this is the most likely means of effecting it. 



Sand Crack. 



This is an accident that happens to dry brittle hoofs, and is, 

 in fact, a breaking or fracture of the liorn in the weakest part ; 

 that is, at the upper part of tlie inner quarter of the fore feet, 

 and the front part of the hind feet, A sand crack almost always 

 extends to the sensible parts, and can seldom be cured if the 

 korse is kept in work. The first thing to be done is to open the 

 crack with a di*awing knife, for it generally runs obliquely under 

 the horn, and cut out every hollow part completely, however far 

 it may extend under the crust. Every particle of horn that is 

 hollow, or detached from the sensible parts, must be completely 

 cut away, and the bar shoe applied eased off the affected heel 

 and quarter. 



When a little sound horn has grown from the coronet, a line 

 should be drawn transversely between it and the crack with a 

 firing iron ; and as the hoof grows down, the crack will disap- 

 pear. A strap, however, should be applied round the hoof for 

 some time so as to pi-event too much motion in the foot. A 

 little blister ointment just above the crack often does good, and 

 tar ointment on the crack on the adjacent horn. Observe, too, 

 that the quarter where the crack is must be rasped away as thin 

 as possible. In this way, sand cracks may be always cured with- 

 out difficulty. The brittle state of the hoof, however, must be 

 corrected by anointing the foot with the tar ointment ; this will 

 be absorbed through the horn, and stimulate the secreting vessels. 



False Quarter. 



When the coronary ligament has been much injured by quit- 

 tors, treads, or other contused wounds, it sometimes forms horn 



