144 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



two more than he needa at every step, and digging up an unneceS- 

 sary quantity of dirt or gravel. But the case differs when the horse 

 treads on anything impenetrable, as a piece of stone, or smooth hard 

 rock. Then the difficulty of raising his weight is added to by that of 

 balancing himself while doing so, upon the pivot by which the point 

 of his toe is terminated. The horse not being furnished by nature 

 with muscles of abduction and adduction in the fore limbs (that is 

 muscles for drawing the legs outward or inward, from or to tiie body) 

 has but little power of balancing himself from falling sideways. 

 The instant he begins to raise his weigfit upon the narrow base of 

 less than half an inch on wliich the smith has propped him, the 

 tendency is for him to topple over, which he does till the side or 

 quarter of the shoe, either outside or inside, takes the ground and 

 gives him farther support. This, however, is not done without a 

 cant or jerk to all the joints of the foot. True, it is the work of an 

 instant, and the horse recovers himself, and goes on before we can 

 almost see it is done. But then the same occurs a hundred, it may 

 be a thousand, times a day when the roads are rocky, or dry and 

 stony ; canting, twisting and jerking the coffin pastern and fetlock 

 joints at every step, and yet, we daily meet with those who gravely 

 wonder how the ringbones, swelled fetlocks, sprains and spavins, are 

 all produced. The Avonder rather is, considering the improper and 

 unnaturally shaped feet and shoes, that there are any sound. (See 

 figures 4 and 5.) 



Fig. 4. 



