CONFORMATION 175 



V-shaped, with the hock forming the apex. The thigh 

 should appear to graduall}'' merge into the second thigh, 

 instead of so abruptly terminating that the second thigh 

 seems of equal breadth throughout its length. The latter 

 formation is a grave fault, for the united tendons of the 

 gastrocnemi form the tendon Achilles, and are strongly 

 inserted in the point of the hock (os calcis) ; and unless the 

 muscles themselves are very robust, the tendon Achilles must 

 likewise be feeble. One more great muscle in the second 

 thigh remains to be noticed, the flexor pedis {q), which is 

 one of the principal muscles for bending the foot. It arises 

 from the upper part of the tibia, and becoming tendinous, 

 passes as a large round cord through a groove at the back of 

 the hock, and then descending behind the shank-bone is 

 inserted into the two pasterns. 



The Hoof. 



The hoof, which is a horny case covering sensitive parts, 

 is renewed by growing downwards from the coronet, where 

 it is secreted, and the fibres composing it should be hard 

 and tough. These fibres run perpendicularly downwards, 

 and at first only appear as toughened skin, but rapidly 

 assume the appearance of horn. The crust thus formed 

 joins the horny sole, forming a rim around it, but while 

 this rim, in nature, is continually worn .away by contact 

 with the ground, to prevent which shoeing was invented, 

 the sole pares itself by detaching thin flakes of horn, if left 

 to fend for itself. With a thin-soled horse the knife of the 

 shoeing-smith should do nothing more than remove such 

 flakes as are about to be cast off, for if more is removed so 

 little protection will be left to the sensitive sole that the 

 animal will lose its action, even if it does not become 

 positively lame. 



Brittle feet are often very troublesome, as they break 

 away so much there is difficulty in obtaining a sufficiency 

 of hold for the nails. A mild stimulant applied to the 

 coronary band will frequently induce a firmer secretion of 

 horn ; and as this condition of hoof often results from the 



