1895.] on the Structure and Function of the Horse's Foot. 559 



the foot. If we bear in mind the use of the sole I am sure the ruiu 

 produced by this barbarous practice will be very evident to you. 

 The sole cannot be too thick, and I have shown you that nature 

 provides for its exfoliation. Under the weight of the horse's body 

 the sole slightly yields : but this we will discuss presently. 



The foot-pad, or, as it is commonly known, the frog, is peculiar 

 both from its shape and the nature of its horn. The horn forming 

 this body is very soft, and resembles rubber ; it can be cut, but offers 

 considerable resistance to friction, and when exposed to friction it 

 wears away with a ragged surface in much the same way as rubber. 

 Its pliability is due to tbe considerable amount of moisture it contains, 

 which you may remember I stated was as high as 42 per cent., or 

 about double that found in the wall. 



This foot-pad has a sensitive counterpart, a body composed of 

 fibrous material containing fat, and so like fat in colour that it has 

 been termed the fatty frog. This sensitive foot-pad fills up the 

 entire space between the heels of the foot, and forms a dense cushion 

 exactly resembling in shape the foot-pad, and it is from the surface 

 of this cushion that the horny foot-pad grows. 



There is no part of the horse's foot which has been exj)osed to 

 more mutilation in shoeing than the foot-pad; probably there is no 

 part of the equine less understood, or one where more ignorance 

 has been shown. 



The impression amongst laymen is that the foot-pad is a dangerous 

 excrescence, which regularly at every monthly shoeing must be cut 

 away to prevent the horse from becoming lame. This j)ractice, I 

 regret to say, is countenanced by people of intelligence, who in the 

 matter of horse-shoeing place themselves entirely in the hands of their 

 servants. 



The use of the pad is to save the foot and limb from concussion : 

 its position in that part where I previously told you the largest amount 

 of concussion is inflicted is evidence of this ; further, the rubber- 

 like nature of its horn is suggestive of a mechanism for the prevention 

 of jar and shock. The shape of the pad, and the fact that in the 

 unshod or carefully-shod foot it is in contact with the ground over a 

 large surface, is evidence that it must assist in providing a firm foot- 

 hold and prevent slipping. Finally, from its position and use it keeps 

 the heels apart and maintains the proper width of the foot. 



All these facts can be absolutely demonstrated. Take, for instance, 

 the last function accorded the pad, viz. maintaining the proper width 

 of the heels of the foot, a simple experiment will demonstrate this to 

 perfection. If we take a foot with a large well-developed pad, and 

 so shoe the horse that it does not come in contact with the ground, 

 the heels of the foot become narrower every day, and in three months' 

 time the jDart is beyond recognition, the heels have curled in, the pad 

 has folded in on itself so that it is not one-half its original width, and 

 the fibrous cushion previously mentioned as lying above the foot-pad 

 wastes away as it is thrown out of use. 



