BRUSHING. 87 



Brushing 



is caused by the outer edge of the inner quarter of a shoe, or, some- 

 times, by the rough clenches of its nails, wounding the opposite 

 leg, generally on the fetlock. Sometimes the injury is inflicted 

 higher up ; or on the coronet ; or even on the hoof. Owing to its 

 retired position, the pastern is seldom hurt in this manner. 



It may be due to weakness, in which case, with increased 

 strength, the habit frequently leaves the animal; to fatigue; to 

 defective conformation, especially when the horse " tiirns out his 

 toes;'' to the fact of the outer portion of the boot being higher 

 than the inner, an arrangement which will cause the fetlock joint 

 to be inclined inwards; to the irritating presence cf mange insects 

 (symhiates, p. 136), which prompts the animal to hit and scratch 

 his legs; etc. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES.— When brushing is caused by the 

 fact of a horse turning out his toes, lowering the wall of the outside 

 portion of the foot which gets hit, will generally serve to remove 

 the fetlock out of the line in which the offending foot moves, and 

 is a better plan than thickening the inside half of the shoe. The 

 wall of the foot which inflicts the wound should not be thinned 

 by rasping, which would weaken a part that is intended to bear 

 weight. Lowering the toes of the hoof, and leaving the heels 

 alone, ^o as to make the foot more upright, will also help as a 

 rule to prevent brushing. With this object in view, the horse 

 may have to be shod, or his shoes removed, once every three weeks. 

 Horses will rarely brush, if allowed to go bare-foot, or if shod with 

 light tips. 



If these measures do not succeed, a boot somewhat similar to an 

 over-reaching boot (Figs. 34 and 35), but shorter and made so as to 

 specially protect the fetlock joint, or a thick india-rubber ring may 

 ba worn. A guard may be constructed out of a bit of woollen cloth 

 about a foot broad, with a piece of tape sewn on to it and placed in 

 the direction of its length. Two or three turns are taken round the 

 fetlock and leg, care being observed to keep all the turns on the 

 same level. The tape is now passed round the leg and tied in a 

 knot (Fig. 37), and the upper part of the cloth is turned over the 

 lower half, so as to form an efficient boot (Fig. 38). The tape 

 should be attached nearer to the lower edge of the cloth than to 

 the upper edge, so that when the cloth is turned down, its two 

 edges may be on the same level. The use of this cloth boot should 



