172 THE HORSE 



Ceacked Heels 



Chaps of the skin: when neglected, run into 

 Grease. 



Symptoms. — Itching of the heels ; offensive dis- 

 charge from the skin ; tender cracks ; general 

 swelling of the legs ; sometimes lameness on first 

 going out. 



Causes. — J^eglect and bad management leading 

 to deranged secretion of the skin in the hollow of 

 the heel. Though often due to debility, may also 

 arise from fatness and insuiScient exercise. Clip- 

 ping the hair off back part of the legs is another 

 frequent cause. Low-bred horses, by reason of 

 their weaker circulation, are more prone to this 

 disease than high-bred animals, and it is frequently 

 present in cart horses which are walked through 

 water to clean their legs before going into the 

 stable. 



Treatment. — The most important treatment is 

 to cease wetting the legs. In slight cases this 

 alone will effect a cure. In severer cases the 

 heels must be washed daily with water containing 

 disinfectant to remove all dirt from the cracks, 

 and then, after being thoroughly dried, they should 

 be dressed ^^dth carbolic ointment. A narrow 

 bandage round the pastern will afford protec- 



