DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 231 



QUARTER t?.ACK. 



This receives its name on account of the part of the foot it 

 affects ; it generally affects the front feet, and is more often seen 

 to affect the inside quarter of the loot. 



Causes.— Certain breeds of animals are more subject to this 

 than others, especially if the feet are of a brittle natuie, and it is 

 often seen in road horses, more especially if they have high knee 

 action and strike the ground heavy. 



Symptoms. — At first a small crack appears in the quarter of 

 the foot just below the hair ; if the animal is kept to work he will 

 get lame, the crack will get larger and longer, and will some- 

 times bleed. If the animal is kept working, it will sometimes 

 f'^ster on account of the irritation being kept up. 



Treatment. — Remove the shoe, -pare out the bottom of the 



affected quarter so the shoe will not rest upon it, then shoe with a 



bar shoe; as well as this, pare out the crack all the way down on 



each side — almost to the quick — from the top to the bottom of it 



so it will not be pressing on itself. If the animal is a little lame 



poultice the foot for a f«w days until the soreness is all out. After 



this apply a little of the same blister that is used for chronic founder 



just above the crack in the hair. This is to stimulate the growth 



of the horn and make the hoof grow and draw out all the 



soreness. 



CAULKS. 



This is common in the fall and spring when horses are sharp 

 shod. 



Causes. — From the horse or his mate stepping on his foot and 

 cutting around the top of the hoof. 



Treatment. — If it bleeds freely apply Monsell's solution of 

 iron, and if you have not this apply a pad of cotton batting and 

 bandage tightly over it, leave it on for twenty-four hours. The 

 danger in caulks is that sometimes hair and dirt gets worked 

 down into the caulk and it begins to fester and works down intr) 

 the foot. In all cases where the animal shows any signs of lame- 

 ness, pare out the hoof around the caulk to the bottom of i-t, then 

 poultice for a few days, change the poultice twice a day to keep it 

 hot and each time the poultice is changed, pour a little hot g^reen 

 salve into it. 



