290 PARTICULAR LAMENESSES. 



by allowing the animal to throw its weight upon the heels 

 with the least possible effort. I have many cases of ring-bone 

 at the present time, where the horses go moderately sound with 

 such a shoe, that would be unworkably lame if shod in the 

 ordinary way. 



If the horse walks on his toe, he must be shod with a high- 

 heeled shoe. This only occurs when ring-bone is situated in the 

 hind limbs, and on the sides or back of the pastern ; when in 

 front, the horse will go on his heel, and is to be shod with the 

 low- heeled shoe. 



Very long pasterns, from the fact that they act too powerfully 

 as levers upon the articulations, are subject to ring-bones; in 

 such cases, I think that they arise from sprain of the ligaments. 

 This occurs, as a rule, in the hind legs, and for this reason, the 

 horse lame from this cause throws his weight upon the column 

 of bones by walking on the toe. 



