THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 189 



jield to pressure and return to its shape, and when force 

 sufficient to overcome its resistance is exerted, the hoof, no 

 long-er elastic, suddenly «'ives away by splitting. This 

 occurs wherever the strain is the g-reatest ; at either of the 

 sides from the quarters to the heel, or directl}^ through the 



Fig. 101 — Showing an Improved Calk as made by Mr. Kindschi. 



middle of the hoof in front. The conditions generally pres- 

 ent, then, in a split hoof, are a hardness, dr^^ness and brit- 

 tleness, and they may arise from various causes. For 

 examples: Hot fitting of shoes; clipping ; high toes and 

 heels on shoes which prevent the frog from coming in con- 

 tact with the ground ; high heels on the foot or shoe ; flat 

 feet and long toes on draught horses ; the paring away of 

 the frog, sole, bars or heel, whereby the foot becomes con- 

 tracted, are all liable to result in the splitting of the hoof. 



Feet in this state are exposed to fracture either on their 

 anterior or their lateral surfaces ; with these conditions toe- 

 crack is produced by the foot acquiring an uneven ground 

 surface, and being thrown into an unnatural or forced posi- 



Fig. 103 — Showing the Method of using the Piece shown in Fig. 101. 



tion. If the heel of the foot, through ignorance or neglect, 

 is suffered to grow to an unusual height, the pressure and 

 thrust of the coffin-bone against the comparatively thin 

 crust, will almost always result in a fracture in front. 

 A peculiar accident to which horses are sometimes liable 



