LAMENESS, FROM VARIOUS CAUSES. 347 



ever a case <.f contraction is submitted to us for treatment, will be 

 whether it be one of the pure or mixed description. If the former, 

 the horse not therefore lame, and his feet be submitted to our in- 

 spection simply from the apprehension of his becoming lame, and 

 the contraction be on this account desired to be removed, the simple 

 and best means of doing so will be to subetitute tips for the horse's 

 ordinary shoes, and to order that he stand with his contracted feet 

 in cold water (or, what is better, in a bed of clay) for a couple of 

 hours, once or twice a day, he being allowed to lie down, as usual, 

 at night. By such a simple plan of treatment as this will his hoofs, 

 giving sufficiency of time for Nature to carry out her operations, 

 become restored to their pristine condition." 



The author's method of treating contraction is, to soften the 

 hoof by soaking it often in warm water ; then open the heels by 

 means of the drawing-knife ; rasp the quarters of the hoof; then 

 pare the foot, but do not touch the bars nor frog ; then put on a 

 light shoe, and use the animal, daily, at light work. It will be 

 proper, also, to anoint the hoof, frog, and sole occasionally with 

 a portion of fish oil and spirits of turpentine, equal parts. This 

 will soon soften the hoof, and render it elastic. 



Hoof-bound. 



This term is usually applied to hoofs that appear to be dry, 

 brittle, unyielding, and having the appearance of more or less 

 contraction at the heels. The hoof, under such circumstances, 

 " pinches the foot," as the saying is, or, rather, embraces the soft 

 tissues too closely. The consequence is, pain, fever, lameness, and 

 perhaps, finally, organic disease of the foot. The condition of the 

 foot termed hoof-bound usually occurs in horses laboring under 

 some predisposition to the same ; that is to say, they have faulty 

 feet, which fault may be either functional or structural, and thus 

 the foot may be affected accordingly whenever the ordinary causes 

 of disease are in operation. 



Causes. — The ordinary or exciting causes of diseases of the feei 

 are said to be faulty shoeing; allowing horses to stand on plank 

 floors, or in any situation which is likely to pervert the function 

 of the foot ; sometimes the feet are very much neglected, and 

 scarcely, if ever, make the acquaintance of sponge and water, am* 

 it is very certain that uncleanlincss has a bad effect upon the feet. 



