i8 CONFORMATION OF THE HORSE. 



with the healthy functional activity of the feet, 



and no one should purchase a horse, without first 



of all having the pads, or leathers, removed. If a 



horse has low heels, avoid purchasing it, because 



this condition predisposes it to bruise the sole, and 



structures within the hoof. A good foot should be 



nearly round, perfectly smooth, free from cracks 



or rings, moderately high at the heels, blueish in 



colour, show a marked convexity on the sole, whilst 



the horn should be neither dry ; brittle ; nor mealy ; 



but when the sole is cut with a knife, it should 



contain sufficient moisture to enable its removal in 



the form of sound parings of horn. The ''frog," 



or foot pad, must not be shrunken, but should be 



full and firm, and its clefts perfectly free from 



disease. If the sole is flat and the hoof " ringed " 



in an irregular manner, it may be an indication 



that the animal has at some time had an attack of 



founder, most evident in the fore feet. There 



should be no contraction at the heels, neither 



should one foot be bigger than its fellow. When 



examining the feet, the intending purchaser should 



not forget to look for evidence of such diseases 



as side-bone, sand-crack, etc. (See chapter dealing 



with the causes of unsoundness.) Horses that 



have not good action carry their feet badly ; for 



