The Foot Its Care and Shoeing. 125 



Hoofs of working horses should be picked out and 

 cleaned daily. The ground surface of shoes should be 

 flat, or rolled slightly at the toe. 



In order to examine the hind foot, if the animal is at 

 all unreliable, stand with the back to the horse' s head ; if 

 the near hind foot is to be examined, stand on that side 

 and run the left hand gently, but firmly, down the limb, 

 beginning on the top of the rump, until the hamstring is 

 reached, just above the point of the hock, grasp that part 

 firmly, then with the open right hand, palm up, grasp 

 the leg just at the pastern, lift and place on the thigh. 

 Various defects of the gait, such as forging and interfer- 

 ing, contracted feet are rectified or improved by shoeing. 



Forging is a defect of the gait, due mainly to conforma- 

 tion, being higher at croup than at withers, long legs 

 and short bodies, or legs too much underneath the body. 

 It may be due to weakness, laziness, bad shoeing, or the 

 delight of hearing the clicking sound. The noise (click- 

 ing) is made by one hind foot or shoe striking the front 

 shoe of the same side. 



To correct the trouble give the feet their proper slope, 

 about fifty degrees, by lowering either the heels or toes. 

 The front shoes must be no longer and no wider than the 

 hoof; the hind shoes should be shortened at the toe, the 

 lower edge rounded, no toe clip, and the shoe fitted so 

 that three-fourths of the thickness of the wall at the toe 

 will extend beyond the shoe; in some cases the use of 

 heavier shoes in front, say fourteen ounces in front, six 

 to eight ounces behind, is advisable; always drive the 

 horse well in hand, so that he goes up on the bit, the 

 gait cannot be collected unless the driver handles the 

 reins properly. A shoe angular at the toe instead of 



