QUALITIES OF THE HOOF. 27 



possessed of a nimbleness and cleverness of foot 

 which would not discredit a chamois.' 



Here are some of the offices which have to be 

 performed by the horse's hoof, together with the 

 reasons for those offices. 



The horse is a very heavy animal, and therefore 

 the hoof which carries that weight must be strong. 



Strength might be obtained by solidity, but 

 solidity would involve weight, so that the horse 

 would have to lift several ounces each time that 

 he made a step. This may not seem very much 

 in detail, but in the aggregate it is very considerable 

 indeed. 



Moreover, the power which is required to raise 

 the foot is very much in excess of the weight to be 

 lifted. The hoof is at the extremity of a long lever, 

 the power of which is applied at the end of the 

 shorter arm, so that, as has been roughly calculated, 

 an ounce on the hoof is equivalent to a pound on 

 the back. The horse is not furnished with muscles 

 fitted for lifting heavy weights at the ends of its 

 legs, and therefore the foot is carefully made as 

 light as possible. The hoof, therefore, must be 



LIGHT. 



It must be hard, so as to endure contact with 

 sharp-edged rock, a sun-baked soil, or loose stones. 



