II 



^v'ant of moisture and nourishmentj and Is the 

 reason the feet have so many disorders. In very 

 hot and sandy countries horses are generally 

 mule-footed; the heel, however, in breadth, 

 bearing a proper proportion to the foot. The 

 cause of this seems to be, that the foot, being 

 constantly in a heated state, £roxp. the warmth 

 of the ground, the hoof gradually becomes 

 hard ; and the softest of the horny part being 

 unable to receive, on account of its dryness, 

 the subtile fluids that should pass to it, in 

 order to give it moisture, they are stopped in 

 their progress, and assimilate themselves to the 

 more insensible parts of the sensible foot, or, 

 in other words, to the most sensible parts of 

 the hoof, unite with the upper part of the 

 horny substance, and continue to deepen the 

 crust till nature places a sufficient protection 

 under the sensible foot, and until the heat of 

 the ground is unable any longer to affect it. 



All Arabian horses, and those of other hot 

 cHmates, have their feet thus formed. Their 

 heels are not close, though they appear so, as 

 they are proportioned to the breadth of the foot. 

 Asses, mules, and mule-footed horses never 

 have any gumminess, cracks, or sores about 

 b6 



