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contracted feet, if he goes soundj is better than an- 

 other with open but weak heels. 



There is nothing in the appearance of the feet 

 which would enable us to decide when contraction 

 is or is not destructive to the usefuhiess. His man- 

 ner of going, and his capacity for work, must be 

 our guides. Lameness usually accompanies the be- 

 ginning of contraction. It is the invariable attend- 

 ant of rapid contraction, but it does not always exist 

 when the wiring in is slow, or of long standing. 

 Experience has taught me to believe that contraction 

 in the majority of cases, is in consequence of bad 

 shoeing. The young and healthy foot, before shoe- 

 ing, approaching nearly to a circle, and of v/hich the 

 quarters form the widest part, and the inner quarter 

 rather wider than the outer. But I am sorry to say 

 this shape is not long preserved in many horses, and 

 why ? In the first place, the majority of smiths forge 

 the shoe in a way calculated to contract the foot at 

 everj^ step. The shoe is turned with each side almost 

 straight, upper side concave, with heels projecting 

 outward, causing the crust of the heel to turn under, 

 and contraction follows. The shoe should be turned 

 as round as the foot will admit of, leaving the upper 

 side perfectly level forward of the quarters ; from 

 the nail holes back to the heel, on each side, leave 

 the outside the lowest, so if you should place a rule 

 across the heel on the upper side of the shoe, it 

 would rest upon the inside corner, but would not 

 touch the outer by one eighth of an inch. Your 



