The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-01-08
Horses Hoofs III Winter.

LACK OF moisture IS not necessarily a
cause OF brittleness Of the hoof, since the
horse has a strong hoof. A continued
drouth is especially dangerous when it
acts on a foot accustomed to abundance
of water. Under the action of water the
horn cells absorb, increase in size, and
push each ether apart. BY this action,
too, some of the gelatinous matter that
builds up the horn is dissolved out, and
when the hoof is again allowed to dry it
has lost materially in its power of cohe-
sion. The more frequently the process
OF soaking and drying is repeated, more
hurtful it proves to the hoof, which be-
comes increasingly brittle and liable to
split up. II, further, this tendency to
brittleness has been inbred through gem
erations of horses, where the feet are al
ternately soaked by drenching rains and
withered by drying suns, the danger is
proportionately increased, and the feet
of such race of horses are especially
liable to splitting and injury. Ii is not
habitual dryness that Injuries; it is the
alterations of rain and drouth. While
upon this subject it may be we'll to note
that the evil effects of moisture may be
largely warded off by smearing the
moistened foot with an impervious oily
agent before exposing it to the drying
process. In this way the moisture that
has been absorbed by the horn has been
retained, the sudden drying and shrink.
ing are obviated, and the horn remains
elastic and comparatively tough. As it
is often needful to soak the foot in warm
or cold water, or in poultices in cases Of
disease, it is all-important that the
above-named precaution should be con-
stantly borne in mind, and the softened
foot should be smeared throughout with
some hoof ointment before it is allowed
to dry and harden. For this purpose
nothing is simpler nor better than a
mixture in equal parts of tar and whale
oil or lard. This may be smeared on
the foot every other day.
In addition to the changes of weather,
the frequent standing in rotten dung
heaps or the pools of decomposed liquid
manure may be named as causes of
brittle hoofs. In the dung-heap there
is not only the moisture and steam soak
ing and softening the hoof, but there is
abundance of ammonia gas, which is
especially calculated to soften, dissolve
and destroy the horn. Rotten manure
and putrid liquids, therefore, are
much more injurious than pure water,
muddy pools, or wet clay. Again, the
emanations Of this kind are far from
conducive to general health, so that
they prove hurtful in two ways-first,
by directly destroying the substance of
the hoof, and second, by reducing the
animal vigor, the power of digestion
and assimilation, and the power of Sc
creting good horn. Standing in such
decOmposing organic matter is still
more injurious, however, when the ami
mai is confined to stall or box, for here
the injurious effect of inactivity is added
to the above-named conditions.
Long exposure to wet and mud also
at this time of year frequently produces
cracks and other troubles in horses feet.
The prevention is in keeping the feet
clean by frequent washing and wiping dry
with coarse stable cloth. A little
crude petroleum applied to the feet be-
fore the horses are taken from the
stable will help greatly in preventing
them from becoming cracked. If the
feet are already in bad shape they should
be bandaged and the horse kept where
it is dry. Cleanliness is the most effect.
i've prevention of trouble in the feet of
horses. Chicago Times.