ON SHOEING, 45 



support, viz. the wall, binders, and frog. But the 

 common method of shoeing completely frus- 

 trates this design, for the shoe behig made con- 

 cave and thick at the heels, the points of con- 

 tact are thereby reduced from three in number 

 unto one, that is to say, the wall of the hoof 

 only. This concavity of the shoe next to 

 the sole, counteracts the elastic expansion of 

 the quarters and heels, by constantly pressing 

 them towards each other. The thickness 

 of the heels also elevates the frog above the 

 ground, and prevents the pressure which its 

 texture and use require. Nature, faithful to 

 her laws, resists injury with her utmost effort?, 

 but, unfortunately is unable to counteract the 

 continued application of an injudiciously con- 

 structed shoe. 



Hence the mischief arising from bad shoe- 

 ing is slow in its progress, but fatally certain in 

 its effects. For if the alteration of the form of 

 the hoof, and the consequent lameness, were 



produced 



