LAMENESS AND DISEASES, ETC. 149 



The parallel of these views is self evident, and but little is to 

 said in addition to my former observations on leveling and bal- 

 ancing the foot. When the bones and joints are in their natural 

 relations, as shown in Fig. 45, the precision and accuracy of their 

 functional activity is assured. The weight is carried through 

 the normal centers of the limbs, the foot rests naturally, with 

 every part of the apparatus sustaining its proper share of the 

 burden, and when springing from the ground it is in direct line 

 with the median plane of the body, and its movement forward 

 and back is as regular as the swing of a pendulum. But when 

 the ground-bearing of the hoof is uneven, as show^n in Fig. 46, 

 the incidence of the muscles is misdirected, the bones and their 

 articulations are displaced from the extremity of the limb to its 

 union with the trunk, and derangement of the entire structure 

 is the inevitable result. To simplify the matter by a further de- 

 scription of Fig. 46, it is seen that the base of the foot is not 

 level w^ith the line below-, and that this deflects the bony column 

 out of the perpendicular. Assuming the width of the hoof to 

 be four inches, and the distance from the base to the knee to be 

 twenty inches, any unevenness, starting at one side or the other of 

 the base, increases in the ratio of five to one ; thus, a displacement 

 of one-fourth of an inch at the bottom of the foot, wall amount 

 to a displacement of one and one-quarter inches at the knee. Im- 

 proper paring of the hoof is of too frequent occurrence, and this 

 illustration is only one of the many serious results following 

 from a disregard of the first principles of shoeing. Impaired 

 nutrition, diminished and obstructed secretion, abnormal growths 

 and structural changes are always associated with it. It is im- 

 possible for a horse to spring from the ground or land on it in 

 a line w^ith the movements of his body unless his feet are straight 

 in that direction and level in their bearings, and from a neglect 

 in these regards or want of precaution to secure them, arise 

 many maladies of joints, bones, tendons, cartilages, laminae, and 

 other structures of the feet and legs. 



