Common Diseases of the Horse 247 



nail to come out at the ri^^ht height. It is obvious that the thicker 

 the wall the better the chance given to the smith. The thickest 

 part is round the toe, from which point it gradually gets thinner. 

 The object is therefore to place the nails where there are the least 

 chances of injury, and for this reason, whenever possible, they 

 should be confined to the anterior half of the foot. 



Nails are called " fine " when they are driven too near the outer 

 portion of the wall, and "coarse" when too near the inner. In the 

 former case, they are likely to cause loose shoes and a broken wall, 

 and in the latter case, lameness from pressure on the sensitive part. 

 After driving in the nails, turning down and clenching them, a few 

 strokes of the rasp should be allowed on the clinches only; on no 

 account should the remainder of the wall be touched with the rasp. 



Some of the troubles and injuries caused by shoeing are dealt 

 with below. 



Overgrown Feet 



This is the result of lack of attention in shoeing, and is caused 

 by allowing the horn of the wall to become unduly long, either by 

 letting the shoe remain on too long, or neglecting to have the 

 unshod foot cut down and trimmed periodically. In the country 

 it is not uncommon to find the foot overgrown to the extent of a 

 couple of inches, with the result that the wall projects beyond the 

 shoe, and the latter becomes practically embedded in the sole, 

 which also becomes to a certain extent overgrown. The shoe is 

 thus thrown out of wear, the walls become broken, causing the 

 tread to be uneven and out of balance. Thus the weight, instead 

 of being distributed evenly throughout, is borne by one side or the 

 other, and the toe and heels are out of proportion. Bruised sole, 

 and strain of the joints, tendons, and ligaments, are often caused in 

 this manner. Sometimes even spavin and splints result. 



To keep the feet in good order and to avoid injury to other 

 parts of the limbs, the shoe should be removed once a month. 

 New shoes will not be required if the horse is working on soft 

 ground, but the feet must be reduced, and their edges trimmed 

 with the rasp. This defect has been alluded to in shoeing because 

 in the country one so frequently finds horses that have not had 

 their shoes removed for three or four months, and the owner is 

 surprised to find that when trotting on the road the animal is lame. 

 In many instances this has prevented an anticipated sale. It costs 

 very little to have the feet regularly attended to, and more than 

 ample compensation is received by the benefit accruing therefrom. 



