Management of the Feet of Horses. 217 



duces little or no good, lameness being per- 

 sistent, the animal will be of scarcely any 

 service for town work. It is best to place them 

 upon soft land in the farmer's hands, where many 

 kinds of light work may be performed without 

 any sacrifice of feeling or increase of suffering 

 to the animal. 



Under certain aggravated conditions of the three 

 forms of disease we have been considering, the 

 advice of a veterinary surgeon should be sought 

 as to the policy of such animals being retained 

 whose life can only be one of protracted misery. 



Pumiced feet, so called, are of frequent occur- 

 rence among cart-horses, but others also are 

 liable when mismanagement occurs. The 

 appearances which give rise to the term are 

 convexity of the sole and concavity of the wall, 

 with great tendency to elongation towards the 

 toe. They are the outward manifestations of an 

 inward diseased state of the sensitive and secret- 

 ing structures hence the deformed shape and 

 growth. 



Shoeing may greatly palliate the case, but 

 nothing is known that will cure it. Put on a 

 strong shoe having a great amount of cover to 

 protect the sole. Seat or hollow out the upper 

 surface, that no part but the wall shall receive 

 weight. Let the heels and toe be low and stiff; 

 keep the toe of the hoof moderately short ; avoid 

 paring the sole, or otherwise reducing the foot ; 

 use well-drawn nails, put well up ; keep on the 



