50 MANUAL FOR AEMY HORSESHOERS. 



These two axes should be in prolongation or appear to be one 

 straignt line no matter what the natural pastern conformation (figs. 1, 

 2, 3, and 5), and if the sheer finds this condition satisfactory he will 

 simply need to prepare the foot evenly for shoeing, as explained 

 later. But if the two axes do not appear as one straight line there will 

 be a break at the coronet. This is a proof that the foot is not level and 

 that the horse is not standing correctly. If the line is "broken 

 out" (fig. 4) the prolongation of the pastern axis falls to the outside 

 of the foot axis and the inner wall is too high, and the fault is reme- 

 died by nipping off more of the inside wall than of the outside. If 

 the line is "broken in" (fig. 6) the prolongation "of the pastern axis 

 falls to the inside of the foot axis and the outside wall is too high 

 and should be trimmed down more than the inside. The dotted 

 lines in the figures show the amount to be trimmed off. 



It will be noticed that the "broken out" foot looks like the "toe 

 in" and the "broken in" foot looks like the "toe out," but in the 

 natural conformations there is no break at the coronet. 



39. Standing at the side, the sheer should notice the height of 

 the foot, the length of the toe, and the slope of the line of the toe; 

 that is, the front line of the hoof as seen from the side. 



Here, again, we have three cases of natural pastern conformation: 

 The "sloping," the "regular," and the "stumpy" (figs. 7, 8, and 

 9); but the line of the toe should, nevertheless, be parallel in each 

 case to the pastern axis as seen from the side. 



By careful sighting from the side, draw a chalk line between the 

 second and third clinches, with exactly the same slope as the line 

 of the toe. This mark will generally have the same direction as the 

 horn fibers. Now stand back and determine if this mark and the 

 "pastern axis" as seen from the side are one and the same line. If 

 so, trim off the surplus growth evenly. If not, the Hne will be 

 broken at the coronet. In " broken back" (fig. 10) the prolongation 

 of the pastern axis falls to the rear of the foot axis and the toe is too 

 high and should be trimmed more than the heel; in "broken for- 

 ward ' ' the prolongation of the pastern axis falls in front of the foot 

 axis and the heels are too high and should be trimmed more than 

 the toe. 



The "broken back" looks like the sloping pastern and the "broken 

 forward" looks like the stumpy pastern. The break at the coronet, 

 however, is the sure guide. 



For the third examination the foot must be raised. 



