786 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



The internal structure of the hoof is illustrated on a previous page in this department, 

 in connection with THE PASTERNS (which see). At birth, the foot of the colt is in form more 

 like a cloven than a solid foot, the sides being folded or rolled together under the sole. The 

 hoof is soft and fibrous, but soon hardens, and grows rapidly. It, however, wears off quite 

 evenly, as to general appearance, but more at tho toe than elsewhere, especially on gravelly 

 soils or stony pastures, giving the foot of a year-old colt a proportionately large frog with 

 prominent bars, as seen in Fig. 2. 



Col. M. C. &quot;Weld says, in the columns of the American Agri 

 culturist : 



&quot; Time makes few changes in the general form of colt s feet up .to 

 the age of four, when they begin to be handled by farriers. I suppose, I 

 if my pastures had not been so stony, I would have been obliged to| 

 rasp off the feet now and then to keep them regular, but as it was, I 

 saw no occasion to do so. One thing I have noticed which has inter 

 ested me much. It is this: as the weight of the animal increased, the 

 quarters showed a weakness, and notches of greater or less extent were FIG - 2. COLT S FOOT, 

 worn at each side of the hoof at the quarters, just in front of the AT TWO YEARS - 

 bars. So marked was this in some cases, that the foot lost its round look altogether, and 

 appeared much like Fig. 3 when seen turned up. 



It seems that Nature gives great prominence to the bars. It is they which form the 

 inside buttresses to the walls of the foot ; and against them the horn 

 grows so tough and strong, that natural calks, as it were, are formed. 

 In our shoeing of horses we disregard some of the plainest and broadest 

 hints given by Nature, for, instead of setting the heel-calks where they 

 are set by Nature, we extend the shoe out behind the heel, and place 

 the calks back of the foot. 



The naked foot at the bottom is flattish, somewhat saucer-shaped, 

 rounding up at the edge in front, and much rounded up at the heels, so 

 that when set down in trotting, the heels strike first, and the foot rolls 



forward upon the flat foot; and when picked up rolls forward upon the FIG&amp;lt; 3, SHOWING QUAR- 

 toe. When walking the foot seems to be placed flat upon the ground, 



but the rolling motion is observed when it is picked up. How distressing, then, it must be 

 to the horse to have all this natural roll done away with by the sharp-edged or calked shoes. 



It is clear to me that the formation caused by the bars, and the toughness of the horn 

 where the bars are attached, give horses sure footing upon slippery and rocky places. The 

 frog gives surer footing upon the ice, as it is of so soft a nature that it clings to the smooth 

 surface just as a person slips less upon the ice if he has on india-rubbers.&quot; 



The hoof is somewhat elastic, and when the weight of the horse is thrown upon it, the 

 softer cushion, or frog, presses firmly upon the earth ; consequently, it aids very materially 

 to prevent slipping on the ice, besides giving support to the foot, when it is not cut away in 

 shoeing. Wild horses seem to have hoofs sufficiently strong to support the body without 

 artificial protection; but when used in constant service, on hard roads and stony pavements, 

 it has been the custom in all civilized countries to furnish a protection to the foot, and after 

 many experiments, iron was found most serviceable for this purpose. Horse-shoeing was 

 introduced into England by William the Conqueror, and has since that time been generally 

 regarded as a necessity; but within a few years public attention has been directed, to a cer 

 tain extent, by writers in both Europe and America, to the importance of doing away 

 entirely with shoeing, and permitting the foot to remain as nature formed it, unmutilated 

 and unshod, whatever the service, or the character of the foundation upon which it may rest. 

 A medium between the two extremes of shoeing and bare feet, is the use of &quot;tips,&quot; which 



