188 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



well- formed crust from the coronet to the toe, is an angle 

 of forty-five degrees ; but m this formation the angle will 

 not exceed from thirty-eight to forty degrees. This incli 

 nation is but ill adapted for resisting the effects of pressure ; 

 and consequently, after the animal has been worked for onp 

 or two years, the line of inclination, instead of being straight, 

 becomes hollowed half-way between the coronet and the 

 toe ; a defect that also occurs in pumiced feet. The surface 

 presents an irregularly rough appearance, but is more fre- 

 quently roughened in circles or rings ; and the general 

 structure of the crust assumes a conical form, with the 

 lower portion, or sole, presenting an unnaturally wide 

 aspect ; and in most instances the foot is larger than it 

 ought to be. 



In this ill-formed foot the sole is alwavs so flat that it 

 will not stand paring when the horse is shod, and it will be 

 found that the bars are very small in size, indeed in many 

 cases they can hardly be said to exist ; the heels are so low 

 that the coronet appears almost to touch the ground, and 

 the crust is so thin that it will hardly be capable of 

 holding the nails of the shoe. Little good can be ex- 

 pected from horses with such feet. Besides, they are cer- 

 tain to be liable to corns ; also to frequent bruises and 

 convexity of the sole ; to the crust being broken ; to 

 sprain and injury of the pastern, the fetlock, and flexor 

 tendons ; and to punctures from the nails in the operation 

 of shoeing. 



Feet of this construction are susceptible of little or no 

 improvement. To those who have the misfortune to possess 

 horses with these feet, we can only recommend that which 

 we have condemned in the healthy state, namely, to shoe 

 them as seldom as possible. The web of the shoe should 

 be light and concave ; the foot should be as sparingly pai'ed 



