590 



DISEASES OF THE HOKSE. 



grow more rapidly than the low side whose pododerm is relatively 

 anemic as a result of the greater weight falling into this half of the 

 hoof, and the ultimate result will be a " wry," or crooked foot. 



THE CARE OF UNSHOD HOOFS. 



The colt should have abundant exercise on dry ground. The hoofs 

 will then wear gradually, and it will only be necessary from time to 

 time to regulate any uneven wear with the rasp and to round off the 

 sharp edge about the toe in order to prevent breaking away of the 

 wall. 



Cv)lts in the stable can not wear down their hoofs, so that every 

 four to .six weeks they should be rasped down and the lower edge of 



the wall well rounded to pre- 

 vent chipping. The soles and 

 clefts of the fi'og should be 

 13icked out every few days 

 and the entire hoof washed 

 clean. Plenty of clean straw 

 litter should be provided. 

 Hoofs that are becoming 

 " awry " should have the wall 

 shortened in such a manner 

 as to straighten the foot- 

 axis. Tliis will ultimately 

 produce a good hoof and will 

 iinprove the position of the 

 limb. 



Fig. 1. — Ground surfiice of a I'iKht fore hoof of 

 the regular form : a, a> "wall ; a-a^ the toe ; 

 a-b, the side walls ; b-rf, the quarters ; c, v, 

 the bars ; d, d, the buttress ; c, lateral cleft of 

 the frog ; f, body of the sole ; g, g' , g", leafy 

 layer (white line) of the toe and bars; Ji, 

 body of the frog ; i, i, branches of the frog ; 

 fc. h, horny bulbs of the h(^els ; l^ middle cleft 

 of the frog. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF A 

 HEALTHY HOOF. 



A healthy hoof (figs. 1 and 

 8) is equally warm at all 

 parts, and is not tender under 

 pressure with the hands or 

 moderate compression with pincers. The coronet is soft and elastic 

 iit all points and does not project beyond the surface of the wall. 

 The wall (fig. 8) is straight from coronet to ground, so that a 

 straightedge laid against the wall from coronet to ground parallel 

 to the direction of the horn tubes will touch at every point. The 

 wall should be covered with the outer varnishlike layer (periople) 

 and should show no cracks or clefts. Every hoof shows " ring for- 

 mation," but the rings should not be strongly marked and should 

 always run parallel to the coronary band. Strongly marked ring- 

 formation over the entire wall is an evidence of a weak hoof, but 



