The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-10-23

ing the walls Of the foot after shoeing favor
evaporation of the fluids from the horn aud
render the latter improper to reabsorb and
hold moisture.
Contraction Is frequently produced by the
vicious system so common In some shops, OF
sopening the heels" or cutting out the bars
which are the natural support of the heels
heels 20 as to hold them and prevent their
natural expansion, shoes conceived too near
the heels and nails drawn too far back on the
quarters all serve as q starting point to sub.
sequeht contraction.
Pain whether In the foot or other parts OF
the ley, from contraction itself. corns, quit.
tors. wounds, ring.bones, or trouble In the
tendons, when 1t causes the animal to rest Its
leg and ease the foot produces i~naction,
want of function, diminished circulation and
exposure to the evaporating air. and are fire..
quent causes of the disease; travelling at
speed on hard roads, and certain other de-
mands, which may only cause temporary
pains In the feet, may at the same time by
starting a fever, be the starting point to con-
traction. The effects of contraction may I'm.
pIicate any portion of the entire leg. Lateral
deviation of the feet from Its natural position
whether the cause be In the foot itself, In the
pastern, or higher up Of the fetlock, bringing
pressure on the sides OF the quarters. forces
the latter In and shuts Oft the circulation.
Those that understand the anatomy Of the
| foot will remember that there are blood yes
| sells running both over and under the lateral
cartilage and when this circulation IL stopped
(by contradictory the lateral cartilage Is apt
to get dislocated, ossify. and become a side
bone. In less than two months there Fave
been at least q dozen horses In my shop with
side bones. and the principal cause was con-
traction. Navicular disease or an i~nterfer-
ence with the %synovial secretion, Is the re-
cult of long continued pressure. Corns orig.
mate from the same cause, and quittors or
| greasy heel are predisposed too by the defec.
tive nutrition of the quarters. Ring-bones
| and windgalls are produced by the strains to
which the bones and tendons arelsubject, and
In the animals attempt to alleviate the pain
in the feet by false position. Want Of use Of
the leg causes q waiting away OF the muscles
of the shoulders, and this Is where nine-tenths
Of the cases Of sweel& originate.
Ing; and il the case has been going on for
some time scars Of blisters and of the hot
iron and setons may be found from the fet-
lock to the top of the shoulder, which have
been Intended to accomplish what could have
been done with a pairing knife and a proper
shoe. A foot which has entirely diminished
in size will rarely return to its normal condi-
tiOn. while considerable contraction of the
heels will entirely disappear. But 1t Is won.
derful what a resisting and recuperating pow
err the foot possesses, and unexpected results
are obtained.
I will say a word here about preventing
contraction, which should begin with the
foal at Its mothers side. 1t should stand on
a clean dirt floor, and plenty Of exercise will
prevent dryness and brittleDess of the feet.
The feet should be looked after about every
six or eight weeks, and dressed with knife
and rasp when defects In their level ana con-
formation are found.
But the most important of all preventive
treatment ia proper shoelng. Many horses
are passed as sound which would remain so II
the feet were shod and treated from the time
Of purchase, but which soon become crippled
with contraction of the feet from inattentien
and poor shoeing. If the foot Is kept on Its
proper level, with the frog and heels bearing
80 as to admit of the normal elasticity OF the
foot, the circulation of the blood will bring
the proper nutrition, and the foot Will stay
IN Its natural condition; and always remem-
Der that the frog Is what feeds, supports and
sustains the balance Of the foot, so keep the
frog u q healthy , pl'aSS1Is conc to- ,o aad you
My method Of treating contraction, with
few exceptions, II shoeing with q bar shoe,
properly fitted. and applied with all the freq
pressure 1 think 1t safe to give 1t. II the
frog and outside crust or wall Is hard, dry
and feverish (Which 1t most generally. is)
would advise q water bath or q f1axseed meal
p~oultlce, to be followed up Immediately with
any good hoof liquid, hoof ointment,o or heavy
lubricating petroleum, or else 1t Is apt to rem
der the wall drier than 1t was before, and do
more harm than good.
l sometimes use q fat shoe and give 1t an
external oevellng, which has a tendency to
the walls on. The toe tip. properly
applied. very often gives good satisfaction.
the choice of shoes depend much upon
he surroundings In which the horse Is. to be
placed. Severe contraction, when compli-
Gated by side bones, may be greatly be nehtted
by applying q mild blister around the coro-
net and guttering the walls of the quarters at
IN oblique angel to the fibers of the wall. and
hen resort to proper shoeing, the same rs TOT {
quarter crack.
l will say q few words on the subject OF ;
,orseshoeing. Horse shoeing, 1 believe, is !
divided into two classes-''empiricaf' and
ssc.entifc.o There are but few who are not
Inclined to regard with favor all scientific In
designations having for their object improve I
nent IN methods of treating and avoiding dis .
'ase, and cutting II short or pslIiating It. To >
empirical belong the class of expertmen.
alton, and l think there Il Q great deal too C
much of II done In horseshoeing. Never tell ,
man what Is the matter with his horse un :
You know. I would like to see Q law en- I
orced that would compel every horse-shoer D.
0 pass an examination before scientific men q
nd have q diploma to that effect before they 4
rould he allowed to drive q nail In q horses d
cot. Horse shooting Is not merely n mechsn. =
al, but q strictly scientific profession. The. 4,
nv Is not All that II needed In the pursuit of h
bis honorable and responsible calling, but n
.ractical and sensible application Of good n
sense tempered with scientific knowl- I,
dye Of the theories now advanced. Theory
well enough In Its way, but 1t should be
,st sight of, as Il fails TO answer all the pur-
oses OF an enlightened. common-sense. level
eaded praetice.-lF. W. Clawson In Black G,
NTH aud Wheelright. 81