XXXIII. CAUSE OF CONTRACTED HEELS. 



A disease called Thrush, located in and about the frog 

 is sure to contract the heels of a foot, if not cured quickly. 

 A foot troubled with thrush should be cured when first dis- 

 covered, if not the frog keeps perishing away until there 

 is not enough of it there to hold or keep the heels from 

 contracting. Another cause is allowing feet to grow too 

 high at the heels and letting them remain too high for too 

 long a time. When the heels get too high the frog is too 

 far away from the ground to get any expansion, or to pre- 

 vent contraction. The closer the frog is kept to the ground 

 on a horse running in pasture or shod and working, all the 

 better. Stock running in pasture, young or old, should have 

 their feet rasped down regularly every five or six weeks 

 at the longest. Some may need it oftener than that. This 

 fixing of feet on stock running out, assists expansion and 

 prevents contraction. If the feet are allowed to grow too 

 long on stock running in pasture the position the animal 

 has to stand in while grazing, with one leg out in front of 

 the other will contract or curl the inside quarter of each 

 front foot, and wing out the outside quarter. Shoes staving 

 on too long, and horses kept on dry, hard floors where 

 they do not get any moisture, will cause contraction. The 

 feet of horses kept on dry hard floors should be stufTed at 

 least every other night with clay, or whiterock, or some- 

 thing of a moistening nature. Contraction is the main 

 cause of both quartercracks and corns. To cure Thrush, 

 cleanse the frog thoroughly, then a few applications of dry 

 powdered calomel to the frog will dry the disease up and 

 leave the frog healthy. 



XXXIV. CORNS. 

 A live, painful corn is caused by different things. 

 High contracted heels will cause corns as well as short ones. 

 Shoeing and leaving the shoes on too long, and undue con- 



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