374 SOLUTIONS OF CONTINUITY IN THE HORN. 



loose wall. Front feet suffer more frequently, because they 

 are kept drier and carry greater weight. Eapid work on 

 hard ground and faulty fitting of the shoe are also frequent 

 causes. Narrowness of the bearing surfaces and an inclination 

 outwards at the heels particularly favour separation. 



Loose wall can only be cured by the downw^ard growth of 

 healthy horn. In this case the old advice to remove the 

 cause is especially applicable. Careful preparation of the 

 hoof is of great importance. The connection between the wall 

 and sole should never be weakened, though all ' seedy ' and 

 broken-down horn must be removed, and the bearing surfaces 

 should be made as broad as possible by allowing the shoe to 

 slightly overlap the margin of the sole. This relieves the 

 loose part of the wall of weight without doing any harm. 

 Convex walls should be judiciously rasped so as to bring them 

 towards their normal direction. If the hoof is weak, the 

 bearing surface of the shoe may be very slightly inclined 

 inwards. If, however, in addition to loose wall other disease 

 of the hoof exists, a bar shoe with leather sole should be 

 applied ; sometimes quarter-clips are useful. 



When lameness is present, the separated section of the wall 

 should be relieved of weight, but this is not always possible 

 when the separation is of large extent. 



To prevent drying and the entrance of dirt the space may 

 be filled with tar, or, better still, with Venice turpentine and 

 tow, failing which, wax can be used. Horn substitutes like 

 gutta-percha become hard, and are apt to act as a wedge, 

 increasing the size of the space ; they should, therefore, be 

 avoided. 



If pain is excessive and suppuration feared, the suspected 

 area can be opened at its lowest point with a small centre-bit, 

 and any blood-stained or purulent fluid removed, when the 

 pain will diminish. After-treatment is similar to that given 

 on page 320. 



In unshod horses loose wall is treated by removing all the 

 separated horn and, if necessary, by applying a shoe. 



(h) Seedy toe is a condition in which the laminal and 

 tubular sheaths of the horn wall are divided in the direction 

 of their respective surfaces. Compared with that previously 

 described, this condition is rare. 



