The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-10-26
FARM, FIELD AND GARDEN.
OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN
EVERY DAY LIFE ON THE FARM.

The Care Of Horses Feet-Importanos Of
Preserving tho Fros--Hints About Shoe
ing Horses-rhrush In Horses' Feet. the
Cause and the Cure.
Preserving the frog. that very Import.
ant cushion beneath the horses foot. wns
the subject Of remark by correspondent
in recent Issue OF Rural New Yorker
Following are statements made
II, In seeking horse. we take up the
foot and find the frog well preserved the
cushion. so to speak, wide. full and soft
the probability Is that the remainder of
the foot will be in good order There may
be an exception to this in the case of O
used up horse having been turned out to
pasture for period long enough to per
nit the frog to take on new growth If
the frog be fully protected and well main
tanned the hoof will be found but little If
at all contracted for the very good reason
that the hoof cannot readily contract if
the frog be up to its normal size in every
way.
But it is tho smith, the horse sheer,
who ruins the frog; that is, very many
of them do this During the many years
that the writer has driven horses, he has
always made it rule to be present dur.
ing the shooting, and has never Permitted
more than the slightest trimming of the
frog. nothing more than the trimming of
OF insignificant parts, already nearly de-
tached. Tho smith can mutilate and Sc
riously damage the hoof by the use of the
rasp; but, fortunately, tho frog is proof
against attacks by this instrument. and
even the knife requires to DO sharp, else
the peculiar nature of the frog viii re-
sist.
Fever in the feet is prolific source Of
injury to the frog. and should be over
come at the earliest possible day Con
iinoment upon dry, plank floor is dam
aging by keeping up too complete a state
OF dryness.
Cutting tho frog away at the timeof shoe
ing, then setting tho foot upon caulkins,
IN such manner as to prevent the frog
from pressing upon the ground, will,
sooner or later, interfere with it's develop
ment and usefulness. The most import
ant function Of tho frog is to lessen the
shock to the foot in it's contact with the
ground. This being tho fact, it should
be so maintained, and the shoe be so con-
structed that at every step tho frog can
come i'll for fair share Of the pressure
upon whatever substance the horse is re-
quircd to tread.
Thrush is disease in the feet Of the
horse, usually arising from dirty condi
ton of the stable, from neglect in keep.
ing the stall in which the animal stands
clean; moro particularly is this the case
in horses of a morbid condition of the
blood, though it may, and does, occur in
horses Of morbiic condition of tho
blood, in the most clearly kept stable.
The following treatment is vouched for
by the veterinary editor of Michigan
Farmer, as being both simple and effective.
Wash out the cleft or division in the
frog, remove all dirt or other accumula.
ton, and while wet sprinkle little
sulphato of copper, pulverizcd, in the
cleft or division and push it down the
bottom with a handle Of q spoon, stick,
or other convenient article; then cover
with q little cotton batting to keep out
dirt. Let it remain two or three days,
when it may be removed. If necessary
repeat tho operation. When properly
managed one or two dressings are all that
are necessary.