134 LAMENESS IN THE HORSE. 



These ridges may be physiological or due to disease. The 

 physiological ridges are of no moment, appearing on the 

 surface of the hoof when the hair is shed, or the nature of 

 the food suddenly and radically changed, and in the preg- 

 nant female. Ridges, following dislocation of the papillae of 

 the coronary cushion, indicate dislocation of the os pedis, 

 for instance, in founder, and also inflammatory processes of 

 the coronary cushion. In the former, the coronary cushion 

 is sunken in and the horny wall growing from it lies below 

 the surface occupied originally ; but in the latter the coron- 

 ary cushion rises and the ridges are therefore above the 

 level of the wall. Corns invariably produce them, as also 

 injuries of the coronet. In flat feet, contraction of the wall 

 in the coronary region sometimes irritates the papillae, and 

 ridge formation follows. 



Pal])ation. — One way to recognize inflammatory processes, 

 at least of an acute nature, within the horny box consists in 

 resting the hand upon the toe, the quarters, the heels and 

 the coronary region, first of the diseased hoof and then of 

 the sound one, to compare the temperature of the two. The 

 point is to find out whether one heel or quarter is warmer 

 than the other heel or quarter of the same hoof, or whether 

 both parts are warmer than the corresponding ones in the 

 other hoof. As previously stated, the heels are normally 

 warmer than the region of the toe. Then the pincers or 

 the hammer is employed to detect a spot which, upon pres- 

 sure or percussion, is painful, as demonstrated by the 

 flinching of the animal at that moment. Some animals 

 flinch as soon as pressure is brought to bear upon the sole. 

 In such cases it is advisable to move the pincers a little 

 away from the apparently painful spot, gradually working 

 them back to the original place. Should the animal again 



