The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

108 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
its proper function. When a frog is in a healthy con-
dition the cleft sinks but a small way into the foot
contraction, however, or any other disease, often
affects the cleft so that it extends in length and often
penetrates deep into the sensitive frog, and it is
through this deep and diseased fissure that the matter
from the thrush discharges itself. Any complaint
which affects the healthy condition of the foot will
induce thrush, which, differing from most diseases of
the foot, is mostly the worst in the hind feet, especially
in horses kept in the stable. This can be accounted
for by uncleanliness and bad stable management, and
that the hind feet aie subject to the baneful effects of
being immersed in the dung and urine, producing
irritation and generating disease. Besides the hind
feet are farther removed from the centre of circulation
than the fore feet, which consequently subjects them
to an accumulation of matter and grease, as well as
other affections to which they are liable. Contraction
is generally the cause of thrush in the fore feet, and
contraction is caused chiefly by bad shoeing and neg-
lect of the foot of the unshod colt, therefore I contend
that I am within bounds when I assert that thrush is
caused by man's neglect. A horse may have thrush
without being lame, as it often happens that no
alteration whatever is to be seen on the foot thus
diseased, and it may require a close inspection to
detect that it is diseased, but it will always be
manifested by the disagreeable smell that invariably
accompanies this complaint. In some cases no ten-
derness of the frosj attends thrush, and the horse