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but the foot increases, and narrows in the quarters, 

 and more particularly at the heel, and the frog is 

 diminished in width, the sole becomes more concave, 

 and the heels higher, and then lameness, or at least a 

 shortened and feeble action, ensues. 



It must be premised that there is a great deal more 

 horror of contracted heels than there is occasion for. 

 Many persons reject a horse at once if the quarters 

 are wiring in, but the fact is, that although this is an 

 unnatural form of the hoof, it is slow of growth, and 

 nature kindl}^ makes that provision for the slowly 

 altered form of the hoof which she does in similar 

 cases — accommodates the part to the change in form. 

 As the hoof draws in, the parts beneath, and partic- 

 ularly the coffin-bone, especially the heels of that 

 bone, diminish ; or, after all, it is more a change of 

 form than of capacity. As the foot lengthens in 

 proportion as it narrows, so does the coffin-bone, and 

 it is as perfectly adjusted as it was before to the box 

 in which it is placed. Its laminae are in as intimate 

 and perfect union with those of the crust as before 

 the hoof had begun to change. On this account it 

 is that many horses with very contracted feet are 

 perfectly sound, and no horse should be rejected 

 merely because he has contraction. He should un- 

 doubtedly be examined more carefully, and with 

 considerable suspicion ; but if he has good action ^ 

 and is otherwise unexceptionable, there is no reason 

 that the purchase should not be made. A horse with 



