466 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



How to know it. — If n seedy toe be struck with a hammer it will giTis 

 a hollow sound, showing that it is disunited. Remove the shoe and a 

 separation will be found between the two coats of the hoof. 



What to do. — Find the extent of the separation with a thin probe. Cut 

 away sucli portiojis of the crust as may be disunited, and to where there 

 is firm adhesion of the parts. If there is a powdery substance clean it 

 out. Keep the cavity tilled with warm tar, properly held in place, and 

 shoe so as to give a uniform bearing, and support the weak part with a 

 clip if necessary. This dressing must be repeated from time to time as 

 required, until the cavity is entirely filled with a new and healthy gi'owth. 



XVI. Ossified Cartilages. 



Ossification of the cartilages is sometimes called false ring-bone. It is 

 a disease to which many horses are sometimes subject, and often exists 

 in connection with ring-bone and side-bones. 



Causes. — Jarring, by hard driving over rough roads, or pounding on 

 hard pavements, or any of the causes producing ring-bone or inflammation 

 of the parts. 



How to know it. — ^When the difllciilty is new, there may be fever in the 

 parts. Later there will be more or less enlargement of the back of the 

 coronet and the heel, the parts feeling hard, irregular or lumpy. The 

 horse is not always lame, but if driven over hard roads, the horse will 

 show soreness and travel short after cooling oif. 



Wliat to do. — In old standing cases, but little can be done ; rubbmg 

 the parts with oleate of mercury will reduce so much as is not already 

 bony substance. In connection with this put in a seton under the af- 

 fected part. In more recent cases, if there is heat, bleeding from the 

 foot will give relief. Then apply cloths dipped in cold water to every 

 quart of which has been added a half pint of tincture of arnica. The in- 

 flammation being reduced, apply repeated dressings of biniodide of 

 mercury. This will promote absorption, but a complete cure may not 

 be expected. 



XVn. Side Bones. 



Side-bones are ossifications from the heels of the coflSn-bone into the 

 lateral cartilages. In heavy horses, side-bones may occur in connection 

 with ring-bones. In fact, ring-bone has its seat in the os suffraginis, and 

 side-bone in the parts about ; the first being in the pastern ; the latte. 

 Vower, or about the coffin-bone. 



