PART III. 



CHAPTER VII. 



GENERAL REMARKS CONCERNING THE SHOEING OF DEFECTIVE 

 HOOFS AND LAME HORSES. 



The boundary between health and disease of the hoof is 

 difficult to determine, especially when we have to deal with 

 minor defects of structure or shape of the hoof. Ordinarily, 

 we first consider a hoof diseased when it causes lameness. How- 

 ever, we know that diseases of the hoof may exist without lame- 

 ness. Therefore, a hoof should be regarded as diseased or 

 defective when the nature of the horn, the form of the hoof, 

 or the parts enclosed by it, deviate from what we consider as 

 normal or healthy (see page 81), whether the service of the 

 animal is influenced by it or not. 



Front hoofs become diseased or defective more readily than 

 hind hoofs, because they bear greater weight, have more slant- 

 ing walls, and are more exposed to drsdng influences. All nor- 

 mally wry hoofs and acute-angled hoofs become more readily 

 diseased than regular and upright (stumpy) hoofs. 



The indications of the various diseases of the hoof are dis- 

 cussed in the following chapters. We shall in this chapter 

 undertake only a brief general discussion of inflammation of 

 the pododerm. This inflammation, known as pododermatitis, 

 always manifests itself by lameness and, under closer examina- 

 tion of the foot, by increased warmtJi,, pain, and stronger pul- 

 sadion of the digital and plantar arteries. The pain produces 

 either a timid, shortened (sore) gait, or well-marked lameness, 

 especially upon hard ground. Increased sensitiveness of the 

 pododerm is detected by compression of the hoof mth the 

 pincers (hoof-testers), or with greater certainty by lightly 

 11 "^ 161 



