DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 375 



the heels or shod with high heel calkins, so as to increase con- 

 cussion in action. 



Symptoms. — Lameness with a short stilty step, and a tendency 

 to stumble from the attempt to avoid shock on the heels. The 

 pasterns are upright and the heels often deep and strong. 

 Pressure on the prominence above the hoof at the quarter 

 detects tenderness and a hard unyielding structure instead of 

 the usual yielding elastic gristle. Bruises of the heel (corns) 

 with bloody discoloration of the horn is almost a constant 

 result of extensive side-bones, the sensitive sole being pinched 

 between the bone and hoof. 



Fig. 72, — Ossified lateral cartilages. Side bones. 



Treatment. — Subdue any existing inflammation by rest, 

 blisters or even firing at the coronets, and apply a bar shoe, the 

 bar resting on the bulbs of the frog, and keep the hoof-wall, at 

 the heels, rasped lower than the rest of the bearing surface, so 

 that daylight can be seen between this part and the shoe. The 

 same shoeing must be kept up when the horse is put to work, 

 or he will soon fall lame again from bruising of the heels. 



Excision of the ossified cartilage and neurotomy have been 

 resorted to with success, but are inapplicable to most cases. 



FRACTURES OF THE BONES OF THE FOOT. 



The small sesamoid may be broken after it has been weak- 

 ened by superficial and internal absorption. The pedal bone 

 may give way from concussion when previously softened by 

 disease, or in cases of blows on the surface, laceration and de- 

 tachment of horn, or wounds with nails or other sharp bodies 

 implicating the bone. The sudden and extreme lameness 



