70 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
edge to the inferior margin will vary according as the toe, 
the quarters, or the heels are under consideration. 
As might naturally be expected, the rate of growth will 
depend on various influences. Any stimulus to the secreting 
structures of the coronet, such as a blister, the application 
of the hot iron, or any other irritant, results in an in- 
creased growth. Growth is favoured by moisture and by 
the animal going unshod, as witness the effects of turning 
out to grass. Hxercise, a state of good health, stimulating 
diets—in fact, anything tending to an increased circulation 
of healthy blood—all lead to increased production of horn. 
With the effects of bodily disease and of ill-formed legs 
and feet on the wear of the hoof, and the growth of horn, 
we shall be concerned in a future chapter. 
