36 THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 



There are several reasons why a larg-e portion of the frog 

 should not be removed, and I will briefly allude to some of 

 them. In the health}^ frog there is a solid, wedge-like por- 

 tion of horn, extending from the cleft to the point of the 

 same. It lies directl3^ under that small yet very important 

 bone known as the '* navicular," and this bone and its con- 

 tiguous tissues often become the seat of a ver^^ painful 

 disease. This disease often arises in consequence of remov- 

 ing the bulbous prolongation termed the anterior point and 

 bulb of the frog, the function of which is to protect, to a 

 certain extent, this bone and the sensitive parts connected 

 with it from the injuries which might otherwise occur Avhen 

 the animal is made to travel fast over hard and uneven 

 roads. The intelligent shoer is certainly aware that if the 

 frog be cut aw^ay, so that nothing but the shoe comes in 

 contact with the earth, the bod^' of the animal has little if 

 an}^ sole sui)port. Hence arises a strain on the laminae, and 

 finally' the descent of the sole. 



When preparing the foot in view of applying the shoe, it 

 may be proper to remove just about as much of loose and 

 rough portions of the frog as the animal might wear off 

 provided he were not shod ; and yet, according to the testi- 

 mony of eminent authorities, this is not always good policy, 

 for these ragged-looking parts usualh^ serve as a protection 

 to new^ formations beneath, and should not be removed until 

 the latter are perfected. — By C. A. S. 



Observations on Horseshoeing. 



Is it proper that a horse should be shod ? Ought a man 

 to go without shoes because he was born barefooted ? In 

 answer to the first question I would say that the labor that 

 is imposed upon a horse, and the character of the roadway 

 over which he is driven, make it necessary that he should 

 be shod for protection to his hoofs. It is a well-ascertained 

 fact that on pavement, iron shoe and iron toe, calks are pre- 



