8 



The bone of the hoof, or cofEn bone, losing its Situation, loses also 

 after a time ils figure ; its sharp edges are removed by absorption, and 

 after a lapse of years, if the horses life is preserved, becomes reduced to 

 a small rounded mass of bone, resting in a cavity of the thickened sole. 

 In this State were found the bones of the celebrated horse Eclipse, now 

 in my possession, the violence of his racing having foundered him, not 

 from his covering mares, as St. Bei used to teach us. 



After long shoeing has weakened the parts which connect the bone and 

 hoof, founder can happen from truly small causes ; a remarkable number 

 of horses were foundered in the dry hot summer of 1807, as it appeared, 

 from the mere effects of exercise and heat. 



This complaint is also often produced Tery unnecessarily by the 

 interference of persons unacquainted with the nature of contracted feet, 

 and the singular effects of shoeing upon thcin: they endeavour to 

 restore such feet, by taking off the shoes, and applying wetted clay or 

 poultices, or other relaxing things, to the hoof; by which means they 

 indeed enlarge the circle of the hoof, but, as it opens to a certain extent, 

 the coffin bone falls, or is disturbed, not having its usual support, and 

 founder in a greater or less degree is the consequence; for bones cannot 

 enlarge, it is evident, though the hoof may.* 



The appearance of the imderside of the hoof is represented at Fig. 2. 

 Plate I. where the sole is laid open to shew the position of the coffin bone; 

 for it was sturdily asserted by the farrier, to be a Shoulder Lameness, 

 tili I proved the contrary, by making this opening. The retiring base of the 

 frog, and the tumid appearance of the surrounding hörn, is also seen. 

 The cause of founder, in this case, was a servant riding tlie horse vehe- 

 mently from a distance in the country to town, for his master's use. 



Fig. 3. represents a hoof bent inwards in this complaint, the toe very 

 much projecting and thickened. 



Horses, which have become foundered, often put out their feet whilst 

 Standing in the stable, as it should seeni to relieve themselves, by pressing 

 upon the heels ; also in going, they sometimes take long steps, and appear 

 to go boldly, which deceives the unaccustomed to this complaint, and 

 they mistake it for good action; they, however, draw back their feet so 

 as to bring the bind parts as much as they can first to the ground. Their 

 inanner of going, it is true, will much depend upon the nature or manner 



* See an Essay expressly on tlus subject, published with the above Treatise oa the Foot. ^ 



