Avery's own farrier. 65 



two or three successive nights, it will create a fever in 

 them; but when you have occasion to stuff the feet, do it 

 with clay well moistened with vinegar, and you may add 

 a little spirits of turpentine; this will draw out the fever 

 and leave the hoof in a more healthy state, which is 

 what you desire. You can soften the hoof by rubbing on 

 soft soap, but you should not let it touch the hair above. 



In cases of old founders and contractions of the hoof, 

 you can improve them very much, and sometimes cure 

 them entirely, by bathing the legs with hot water every 

 day for some two weeks; this relaxes the muscles (if the 

 stiffness proceeds from a soreness of the chest, feed a 

 handfull of sunflower seed during the time), and thus by 

 using anything that will cause the hoof to grow fast, 

 gives relief, and when you have got a new hoof, the 

 horse will be well and sound again as ever. 



You can grow on an entire new hoof in a few weeks 

 by adhering strictly to the following directions: At a 

 season of the year when you can obtain it (or you can 

 make it into a salve and keep for use), gather from the 

 field as it is growing, green wheat before it heads out; 

 take a quantity of this and boil it in greasy pot liquor 

 until it is thick and salvy; then anoint the hoof often 

 with it, and for a day or two at first bind on some of it 

 that is not boiled so much. If the above can not be ob- 

 tained, use the following mixture: Take equal parts of 

 white pine turpentine and fresh lard; melt them together, 

 and add, before using, enough of spirits of turpentine to 

 have it spread easy, and bathe the hoof several times a 

 day with this, rubbing it well around the hoof and close 



