296 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
than in an upward direction. This, however, is more 
apparent than real, as the rate of growth of the horn down- 
wards detracts from the progress of the disease upwards, 
although it spreads over the horn at the same rate. 
Before concluding the symptoms, we may again allude to 
the fact that, although usually occurring at the toe, the 
same condition may be met with in other positions—namely, 
at either of the quarters. In appearance and in other 
respects it is identical with that occurring at the toe. 
When the animal is lame and the existence of seedy-toe 
is surmised, or when the cause of the lameness is altogether 
obscure, a little information may perhaps be gathered from 
noting the wear of the shoe. If the animal has been going 
lame for any length of time as a result of disease in the 
sensitive lamine, then the shoe will be greatly thinned at 
the heels, and the toe but little worn. 
Treatment.—As with diseased structures elsewhere, the 
most rational treatment, when possible, is that of excision. 
The entire portion of the wall forming the anterior boundary 
of the cavity is thinned down with the rasp and afterwards 
removed with the knife, wholly exposing the hypertrophied, 
but usually soft layer of horn covering the sensitive 
structures. These hypertrophied portions are also removed, 
and every particle of the dust-like detritus cleaned away. 
After-treatment consists in dressing the parts with a good 
hoof ointment, protecting them, if necessary, with a pad of 
tow and a stout bandage. It may be that the removal of 
a large portion of the wall may for some time throw the 
animal out of work. Acting on Colonel Fred Smith’s 
suggestion, this may be avoided by having made a thin 
plate of sheet-iron, slightly larger in circumference than the 
portion of horn removed, and shaped to follow the contour 
of the foot. This made, it is sunk flush with the wall by 
hot-fitting it, and kept in position by several small steel 
screws fixed into the sound horn, just as in the treatment 
for sand-crack (see p.174). This will serve the useful 
purpose of maintaining in position any dressing that may 
be thought necessary, of acting as a support to the horn 
