290 WOUNDS IN THE VEKT FROM NAITS, &C. 



Bad Practice among the Country Farriers. 



It may not be irrelevant here to notice a bad 

 practice very prevalent among country farriers in 

 their management of those horses whose feet are 

 lame. After the foot has been pared quite thin, 

 and the horse is so far recovered from his lame^ 

 ness as to be capable of work, the farrier in gene- 

 ;:al wedges the lame part under the shoe with 

 hurds and stopping, in order to prevent the gra- 

 vel from working to the wound. This is a very 

 erroneous notion; the pressing of the hurds on 

 the lame part causes much pain, and will not pre- 

 vent the gravel from working between the sole and 

 the stopping, or hurds. In cases of this kind, 

 the pain and inflammation have been so nmch 

 increased, as to make the horse more lamq than 

 •at the first. To prevent such accidents, the horse 

 should never be permitted to work with any kind 

 qf^^.tuffing under the shoe ; but should be shod 

 §10, as to:e,ase^ the part, and give the gravel an 

 opportunity, of working out as it enters. When 

 he comes from his work the foot should be well 

 washed with warm water, and afterwards stop- 



