114: THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 



spread the foot if it is repeated each time the horse is shod. 

 The reason I turn the heels out is that when turned in, as 

 in Fig'. 63 of the annexed engTaving-s, the bearing is brought 

 so close together that the Aveight pressing outside of the 

 bearings draws the shoe together. But if you turn the 

 heels out, as in Fig. 04, you get a broad bearing that 

 will not draw together. I turn the heels out on all the 

 shoes I put on, and find that the plan ahvays gives satis- 

 faction. — By C. S. E. 



Proper Shoeing for Contracted Feet. 



Contracted feet are more commonly the consequence of 

 lameness in horses than the cause. Any diseased condition 

 inside the hoof giving rise to an unusual degree of heat 

 leads to a more rapid evaporation from the surface of the 

 horn, to drying and shrinking of the hoof, and to absorp- 

 tion of the soft parts within. The shrinkage or narro wing- 

 takes place especially at the heel, wiiere the foot has not a 

 long, but onl}^ an elastic, cartilaginous internal support, 

 « which yields easily to an^^ pressure from without. 



A second condition, wiiich alwaj^s coincides with this dry- 

 ing due to disease, is the disease of the heel caused b3^ the 

 animal standing on its toe, or removing the w^eight from 

 the entire foot. When the foot is planted on the ground 

 and the weight thrown ui^on it, the soft parts descending 

 wdthin the hoof tend to press it outward, and as a matter of 

 fact the hoof does actually expand at the upper part, 

 next the hair, and thus the natural tendency of the unused 

 elastic horn to contract is to a great extent counteracted. 

 Disease is, therefore, a more common cause of contraction, 

 and in all cases of contracted feet it is well first to look for 

 some existing disease, such as corns, bruises, pricks, and 

 other wounds, g-raveling, thrush, inflammation from uneven 



