ARTISTIC HORSE-SHOEINa. 121 



rig"ht place ; and the horse's flinching- clearly shows the 

 sensible part into which the nails have made their way 

 under his wild blows. It often happens that the injury is 

 not at once detected, but a day or two after shoeing- the 

 horse is evidentl^^ uneasy in his foot, and more or less lame. 

 On removing" the shoe, it is found that there is g-reat 

 tenderness at some particular part of the foot, and some- 

 times a great bulg-ing- ; but this is seldom evident so soon. 

 It is the better plan to place the foot in a cold bran poultice, 

 without a shoe on, and wait for a day or two, when, if the 

 foot continues very hot, the smith must pare down the horn 

 over the suspected place, and let out the matter if there is 

 any; or, if necessary, bleed at the toe, which is likely to 

 relieve the inflammation, and prevent suppuration, if it has 

 not already occurred. If matter has formed and is let out 

 a little, friar's balsam is pushed into the abscess on a piece 

 of lint, and the shoe tacked on ; but the lint must be so 

 placed as to be capable of being- pulled out on the next day, 

 so as to leave a clear opening for the matter to escape. In 

 a few days the shoe must be taken off again, and any 

 ragged pieces of horn removed, as Avell as the opening 

 enlarg-ed if necessary. The sinus ma^^ now be treated as 

 described under quittor. Sometimes a prick occurs from a 

 nail picked up on the road, and then the accident must be 

 treated as if it occurred in shoeing-. 



Thorns received into the skin in hunting- are often very 

 troublesome, and should be searched for most carefully 

 when they are suspected to be present. The best way is to 

 wet the leg thoroughly with hot water, and then to smooth 

 the hair down slowly with the fingers, when the slightest 



