LAMENESS AND DISEASES, ETC. 



175 



liable to this troublesome ailment. Hard pulling will also de- 

 velop it and no horses are exempt from it where they are in a 

 position to overtax the muscles and ligaments of the pastern 

 and fetlock joints. Certain conformations of the foot or ankle 

 region, together with improper modes of shoeing, as indicated, 

 are always classed with the predisposing causes of this defec- 

 tion. The weakness is generally manifested when the horse is 

 traveling at a slow gait and renders him less sure footed, though 

 not always attended by lameness. When driven on the level 

 the upper pastern occasionally bulges forward, and going down 

 hill the horse knuckles at every step, but the driver will observe 

 that when going up hill the horse never knuckles. I call par- 

 ticular attention to these 

 points, as the style of shoe g | 

 proposed for the relief of 

 knuckling is on the order 

 of up-hill movement. 



It will most generally 

 be found that unevenly- 

 grown and unbalanced 

 feet are present in condi- 

 tions where knuckling ex- 

 ists, and in preparing the 

 foot for the reception of 

 the shoe, the surplus 



growth should be removed Fig. 71. hind foot shoe to prevent and 



■i. -XT'- nf\ ^^/] CURE knuckling. 



as shown m Jb ig. <0, and 



The straight bar indicates the shape of shoe 



the foot leveled and bal- g^^en from the side. A, Point from which 



anced as per Fio". 23. In ^^^^^ should be tapered to toa and heel. 



, , .„ - B, B, Sole-bearing line. C, C, C, Ground 



this way the toe will be jj^g 



foreshortened, the heels 



lowered, the ground tread lengthened, strong frog pressure ob- 

 tained, and the fetlock or weak joints thus be made to rest more 

 easily in a normal position. Fig. 71 is the shoe recommended 



