nONTRACTION. 307 



CONTRACTION. 



Fig:. 47, will give a fair idea of the young and healthy foot, 

 approaching nearly to a circle, and of which the quarters form 

 the widest part, and the inner quarter (this is the near foot) 

 rather wider than the outer. This shape is not long preserved 

 in many horses, but the foot increases in length, and narrows in 

 the quarters, and particularly at the heel, and the frog is dimin- 

 ished in width, and the sole becomes more concave, and the 

 heels higher, and 'lameness, or at least a shortened and feeling 

 action, ensues. 



It must be premised that there is a great deal more horror of 

 contracted heels than there is occasion for. Many persons reject 

 a horse at once if the quarters are luiring in ; but the fact is, 

 that although this is an unnatural form of the hoof, it is slow of 

 growth, and nature kindly makes that provision for the slowly 

 altered form of the hoof which she does in similar cases — she ao 

 commodates the parts to the change of form. As the hoof draws 

 in, t]ie parts beneath, and particularly the coffin-bone, and espe- 

 cially the heels of that bone, diminish ; or, after all, it is more a 

 change of form than of capacity. As the foot lengthens in pro- 

 portion as it narrows, so does the coffin-bone, and it is as perfectly 

 adjusted as before to the box in which it is placed. Its laminae 

 are in as intimate and perfect union with those of the crust as 

 before the hoof had begun to change. On this account it is that 

 many horses, with very contracted feet, are perfectly sound, and 

 no horse should be rejected merely because he has contraction. 

 He should undoubtedly be examined more carefully, and with 

 considerable suspicion ; but if he has good action, and is other- 

 wise unexceptionable, there is no reason that the purchase should 

 not be made. A horse Avith contracted feet, if he goes sound, is 

 better than another with open but weak heels. 



The opinion is perfectly erroneous that contraction is the ne- 



no use as a support ; the front of the foot, usually the strongest, now be- 

 comes the weakest, and the horse goes mostly upon his heels. A cure being 

 out of the question, we must endeavor to palliate as best we can, and this 

 we shall do by means of shoeing. A bar-shoe should be nailed on, well 

 hollowed out, so as not to press on the sole in the slightest degree, and a 

 rim of leather should be put under the shoe to diminish concussion, but 

 should not extend over the sole. The bar should be put on so as to be 

 within the eighth of an inch from the frog, by which means pressure only 

 will be given it when the foot is on the ground, and it will thus be enabled 

 to support a moderate share of the superincumbent weiijht, and so relieve 

 the crust of it. The hoof should be frequently anointed with a mixture of 

 tar and grease, and if the horse is rested for some time the coronets may be 

 Blistered 



