SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VII. 485 



horses upon the streets of our cities. The blacksmith is apt to get all 

 ol' the blame but the trouble really began upon the farm. 



To grow feet in the best possible manner the colt should be driven 

 into the stable once a month, when on grass, and the feet should then oe 

 carefully inspected. As a rule it is necessary, to shorten the toes and this 

 should be done with the rasp; in fact no other instrument should be used 

 for the trimming of colt's feet. Where the toes are kept short the quart- 

 ers will usually take care of themselves, for the frogs will bear upon the 

 ground and keep the heels properly spread. The frog should be particu- 

 larly noticed for if it gets out of contact with the bearing surface, the 

 foot will very rapidly lose its proper shape; the heels will contract and 

 the walls at the quarters become brittle, weak and prone to split, either 

 from aoove or below. Where a "quarter crack" appears it is a difficult 

 matter to bring down a new growth of sound hoof without firing and blis- 

 tering, so that prevention is all important. There is no need to cut 

 out the sole or "open the heels" as it is called. The frog and heels should 

 be left absolutely untouched and they cannot be too well developed. The 

 sole will take care of itself, for nature will throw off dead horn as 

 required. Keep the walls rounded at the ground surface, the toe short 

 and the frog prominent and, with but few exceptions, horses will go to 

 market in the best possible condition so far as the feet are concerned, to 

 command a profitable price. 



In this connection it may be added that sound feet are best produced 

 by adequate feeding of nutritious food. Horn comes from the nitrogen- 

 ous constituents (protein) of the food and, for this reason, a complete 

 ration should be used for the growing of colt frame and sound hoof-horn, 

 for corn alone cannot be depended upon to produce good, sound feet; 

 Sudden changes of food, periods of sickness, exposure to inclement 

 weather, for months at a time, all have an injurious effect upon the feet, 

 therefore it is important to shelter the colt well, feed him regularly and 

 generously and protect him as much as possible against the ravages of 

 disease. Train the feet in the way they should grow and when they are 

 mature they 'will not be so liable to depart from sound form and sub- 

 stance. 



When the hoofs have been properly developed they are very apt to 

 be quickly and injuriously changed in shape and condition by the 

 erroneous, hurtful methods of a blacksmith who has not studied the 

 anatomy of the horse's foot. The owner should supervise the shoeing of 

 his horses, and in addition to the use of shoes of proper weight and form, 

 the following points should be attended to: the frog is to be left untouched 

 by knife or other instrument; only that portion of the sole which is dead 

 and loose is to be removed; the bars are to be left alone; the heels are 

 not to be "opened" by a couple of deep notches; the outer surface of the 

 walls is not to be rasped, with the exception of a slight depression under 

 each nail point to allow of proper clenching; the shoe is to be fitted 

 to the foot and not the foot to the shoe; the shoe is not to be applied to 

 the sole when red hot, unless a light touch is necessary to show where 

 horn must be rasped awaj- to furnish a proper seat for the shoe; the 

 rasp is always to be used in preference to the knife or buttress; shoes 



