64 



a horse's feet, not understanding that at 

 this time the strong portion of the hoof 

 grown in the previous summer and early 

 fall is bearing the strain. 



Now it must be apparent that dryness 

 or wetness cannot be important factors as 

 effecting the strength or condition of the 

 hoof, else why is the hoof equally good in 

 Ireland, where it is almost constantly wet 

 and cool, and in Arabia, where it is almost 

 constantly dry and hot ? Anyone who has 

 noticed the hoofs of dead horses lying in 

 the fields, not only for months, but for 

 years, without *any perceptible change, 

 must see that wet does not soften them or 

 dryness make them friable, nor even freez- 

 ing cause their disintegration. The hoof 

 is not hygroscopic to any appreciable ex- 



