72 THE HORSE. 



or the crust, by the smith's paring-knife. The rage 

 which exists for opening the heel, as it is called, is 

 most absurd and injurious. Smiths have been so ranch 

 in the habit of doing this, in order to satisfy the ig- 

 norance of their customers, that it is now like a second 

 nature to them, and it is frequently very difficult to 

 persuade them to spare the use of the steel. If any- 

 thing is sliced off the back of the heel, at the point 

 where the hoof turns in to form the bars, it must 

 weaken the arch most materially ; and thus, by allow- 

 ing the cmst to approach the bars or the frog, con- 

 traction will be encouraged, and in all probability corns 

 will be produced. 



It appears to me very inconsistent in the old veteri- 

 nary writers to insist so much as they do upon keeping 

 the bars in their full thickness and strength, whilst 

 they hold the opinion that the heels, which are formed 

 by the union of the bars and crust, expand as soon as 

 the weight of the animal is thrown on the foot. 

 Surely, if there is any expansion here, the thinner 

 the bars are the better, as they could then expand the 

 more freely and readily. But the fact is, to those 

 who are not over-much given to theorising, it will at 

 once appear evident, after a careful inspection of the 

 prepared foot, that no such expansion takes place — 

 that the bars, like the diagonal rails on an iron gate, 

 are purposely intended to prevent either expansion or 

 contraction ; and therefore the stronger they are, the 



