PREPARING THE IIOOF. 41 



former being more under the centre of gravity, and so 

 having a greater weight to sustain. 



The pastern and foot form part of a lever that extends 

 from the fetlock to the ground and supports the weight 

 of the body. The strain comes perpendicularly from 

 the shoulder to the fetlock (Fig. 8, a, c) ; but thence to 

 the ground it passes along the pastern and foot (c, d) — 

 the extremity of the lever — and these are inclined more 

 or less obliquely forward ; hence the charge imposed on 

 the limb has an incessant tendency to increase this obli- 

 quity by bringing the fetlock nearer the ground (b). To 

 resist this tendency, however, we have the two flexor ten- 

 dons, and the powerful suspensory ligament at the back 

 of the limb, which support this joint and maintain its 

 angle. 



But it will be readily understood that the longer and 

 less upright this lever is, the greater is the strain and fa- 

 tigue thrown upon the tendons and ligament. Though 

 an oblique pastern may look graceful, and make the 

 horse's step more elastic and agreeable to the rider, yet, 

 when the degree of obliquity exceeds that intended by 

 Nature, great risk is incurred of injury to the supporting 

 apparatus. Hence the necessity for maintaining the hoof 

 at its normal angle — a necessity, however, which can 

 never be met, except at the moment when the animal is 

 newly shod ; for no sooner is the equilibrium restored be- 

 tween the front and back of the hoof and the shoe fast- 

 ened on, than it begins to be disturbed again. This in- 

 convenience is inevitable, from the very nature of the 

 means we adopt to defend the foot from injury. 



On the other hand, the suspensory apparatus is less 

 severely taxed, as the lever is short and vertical : or, in 

 other words, as the pastern and hoof are upright. But 

 this, though relieving the tendons and ligament, throws 

 the weight too directly on the bones ; consequently the 



