THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 123 



or sensitive ivog, will in most cases be too severe and cause 

 more inflammation than existed before, and we will have 

 ag-g-ravated the ti-ouble instead of curing it. In this case 

 mv treatment would be similar to the first case in man\^ 

 respects. 



I first level the foot, but lower the toe as rxiuch as I can 

 with safety. Then I take a small saw and saw the foot 

 open at both heels till I get through and start the blood, I 

 then put on the shoe shown in Fig. QS, and spread as 

 before. 



Shoeing in this way, as your patients are driven up to 

 your shop, you can take 3^our compasses and spreader, slip 

 out and expand the foot by spreading the shoe without re- 

 moving it from the foot. — By H. M. S. 



Contracted and Hoof-bound Feet. 



Contraction of the feet is a disease more frequent among 

 horses than any other to which they are subject, and it af- 

 fects road and draught horses alike. It results from the 

 hoof losing its moisture and thus becoming hard and fever- 

 ish. Horses raised on farms always suffer from this disease. 

 The causes are hard, dry floors and a lack of frog pressure. 

 Its distinguishing features are a long, narrow foot, as 

 shown in Fig. 69 of the accompanying engravings, and a 

 large, high coronet as seen in Fig 70. 



- If contracted at the quarters there is a strong wall at 

 the heel and toe, as illustrated in Fig. 69, but if contracted 

 at the heels the wall is strong everywhere excepting at the 

 heels. 



The best remed3^ is the bar shoe, with nail holes around 

 the toe. The wall should be raised, especially at the heels, 

 until a frog pressure is obtained. The sole should be pared 

 but slightl3% because a thick sole acts as a brace and pre- 



