306 PUMICED FEET. 



much of their elasticity, and the coffin-bone, no longer fully sup 

 ported by them, presses upon the sole, and the sole becomes flat 

 tened, or convex, from this unnatural weight, and the horse ac- 

 quires a PUMICED FOOT. This will also happen when the anima^ 

 is used too soon after an attack of inflammation of the feet, and 

 before the laminaj have reigained sufficient strength to support 

 the weight of the horse, or to contract again by their elastic 

 power when they have yielded to the weight. When the coffin- 

 bone is thus thrown on the sole, and renders it pumiced, the 

 crust at the front of the hoof will "fall in" leaving a kind of 

 hoUow about the middle of it. 



Pumiced feet, especially in horses with large, wide feet, are 

 frequently produced without this acute inflammation. Undue 

 work, and especially much battering of the feet on the pavement, 

 will extend and sprain these laminse so much, that they wUl not 

 have the power to contract, and thus the coffin-bone will be 

 thrown backward on the sole. A very important law of nature 

 will unfortunately soon be active here. When pressure is ap- 

 plied to any part, the absorbents become busy in removing it ; so, 

 when the coffin-bone begins to press upon the sole, the sole be- 

 comes thin from the increased wear and tear to which it is sub- 

 jected by contact with the ground, and also because these absorb- 

 ents are rapidly taking it away. 



This is one of the diseases of the feet for which there is no 

 cure. No skill is competent to effect a reunion between the sep- 

 LraccJ ilesny and horny laminas, or to restore to them the 

 strength and elasticity of which they have been deprived, or to 

 take up that hard, horny substance which speedily fills the space 

 between the crust and the receding coffin-bone. 



All that can be done in the way of palliation is by shoenig. 

 Nothing must press on the projecting and pumiced part. If the 

 projection is not considerable, a thick bar-shoe is the best thing 

 that can be applied ; but should this sole have much descended, 

 a shoe with a very wide web, bevelled off so as not to press on 

 the part, may be used. These means of relief, however, are only 

 temporary, the disease wiil proceed ; and, at no great distance 

 of time, the horse will be useless.* 



* Note by Mr. Spooner. — When this disease foUo\F8 that previously 

 treated of in the preceding article, the horse is rendered completely unser- 

 viceable, the laminae become disorganized, the cofiSn-bone separates from 

 the crust and descends on the sensible sole, which, unable to bear the pres- 

 sure, becomes bruised and diseased, and in fact the horse is incurably lame 

 When, however, a convex foot is gradual in its approach, and tbe sole bf 

 comes pumiced by degrees, there is some palliation to be offered ; in sncli 

 instances there is usually a weak foot previously, giving a predisposition to 

 the disease. In this case likewise the toe of the bone recedes from the 

 crust, a homy substance is thrown out between them, which is however of 



