1002 
JAMES M’DONOUGH 
THE HORSE'S FOOT. 
By James McDonough, D. V. S., Montclair, N. J. 
Read before the Veterinary Medical Association of New Jersey, at Trenton, 
January 9. 1902. 
Ah. Chairman and Gentlemen ; After first thanking - you- for 
this privilege, and apologizing for my inability to treat with 
so important a subject, I will state that the object of my paper 
is to create a discussion on that long neglected, and very im- 
portant organ -the horse’s foot, and its shoe of nature—the 
hoof. I know that for several reasons this has always been a very 
complex subject for veterinarians to deal with. First of all, 
owneis are not conscious of the fact that most lameness and in¬ 
juries to the limb can be traced to the foot. 
Second, they do not know that a horse is lame, unless he is 
lamer in one leg than in the other. In other words, unless a 
hoise travels with a perceptible limp, our most humane people 
will compel him to go unconscious of his sufferings. 
Third, it has long been the custom for the care of the feet to 
be left to the farrier, and as to just where his duties end, and 
those of the veterinarian begin, has always been a problem that 
neither could solve. 
As to the first cause, we are responsible for its existence. If 
we are called to see a lame horse, and find him suffering with a 
spiained tendon or ligament, a soreness of some muscle or mus¬ 
cles, bony enlargement, etc., we do just what any owner or groom 
w 7 ould do, simply treat the part affected, which in most cases 
they have found and suggested the same treatment that we will 
apply, and oftentimes will themselves apply it with just as satis¬ 
factory results. 
Now, we as veterinarians know that that cause of lameness 
w r as in itself an effect, and, it is our duty to find and remove its 
cause. For by so doing, we not only prevent a recurrence of 
the trouble, but we satisfy the owner that our knowledge of 
those things is superior to his, as the condition can oftentimes 
be relieved and permanently so without the application of any 
treatment to the parts affected, but by simply removing the 
