CHAPTER X 
AILMENTS AND DISEASES 
In all serious ailments and accidents a veterinary 
surgeon should be called in. But a few brief notes 
indicating the direction in which “ first aid” should 
be given may be of use to those who are unable to 
obtain the services of a good veterinary without 
delay. To this is added some information with regard 
to those maladies or misfortunes which an owner of 
horses is competent to deal with himself. 
Shoeing 
A horse without sound feet is useless. The utility 
of thousands of horses is impaired or destroyed by 
bad shoeing. The knife should be used very spar- 
ingly zf at all on the sole and frog of a healthy hoof. 
The frog should be left, if possible, so as to touch 
the ground with the shoe on. The bars and heels 
should not be weakened and opened by the knife. 
Shoes for light horses should be light and open at 
the heel, and the inner heel of the shoe should 
generally be thicker than the outer heel, as the 
former is the weaker and usually a little farther off 
the ground. The walls of the hoof should never be 
