280 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 



disposed to this disease. It is quite as certain that injuries from 

 treads and similar wounds also set up an inflammation about 

 these structures that may later result in sidebone formation. 

 Lameness may or may not be present. In the later stages of the 

 disease the only symptom is the hard, unelastic prominence just 

 above the coronary band. It may be either unilateral or bilateral 

 and occur on any foot, but is more frequent in the front feet than 

 the hind. In many cases only the lower portion of the cartilage 

 undergoes ossification, the rest retaining its normal elasticity, 

 in which case the affection cannot be readily diagnosed. Blister- 

 ing and firing are remedies for sidebone that have been employed 

 successfully when aided by shoes with heel and toe calks. The 

 most satisfactory treatment is to take the horse off city pave- 

 ments and put him at work on soft ground. As a last resort, 

 after other means have failed, unnerving may be employed. 

 Sidebones are properly classed with the unsoundnesses, although 

 they do not interfere with the serviceability of draft horses 

 after lameness ceases. Unlike spavin and some other kinds of 

 lameness, horses do not "warm out" of sidebone lameness. 



TOE AND QUARTER CRACKS 



Sand crack is another term for these diseases. They are splits 

 in the horn of the wall, the position determining the exact name 

 applicable. The causes are lack of moisture in the hoofs; heavy 

 shoes; nailing the shoe too close to the quarters; separation of 

 the horn from the pododerm. The crack first appears at the 

 coronary band, from where it gradually extends downward 

 either by growth or by splitting the horn. Lameness is caused 

 if the fissure is deep. The first step in treatment consists in 

 removing the shoe and softening the horn by poultices, or by 

 standing in water for a few days. If the sensitive tissues at the 

 coronet can be made to secrete horn of a resistant nature, the 

 crack will disappear in time at the lower border of the wall. 

 To aid in this, a piece of the bearing surface in contact with the 

 shoe about 2 inches long should be cut away to prevent pressure. 

 Shoeing with a bar-shoe is helpful. The edges of the crack may be 

 drawn together with a nail. It takes about one year for a sand 

 crack to grow down. The disease is an unsoundness. 



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