CONTRACTIOiY. 409 



wliicli tJioy are fastened on, the nails being necessarily placed nearer to 

 the quarters, and possibly an additional nail or two used in the fastening, 

 and these also applied at the quarters. There is no rule which admits of 

 so little exception as that, once in aboiit every three weeks, the growth of 

 horn, which the natural wear of the foot cannot get rid of, should be pared 

 away — the toe should be shortened in most feet — the sole should be 

 thinned, and the heels lowered. Every one who has carefully observed 

 the shape of the horse's foot, must have seen that in proportion to its height 

 or neglected growth, it contracts and closes round the coronet. A low- 

 heeled horse might have other serious defects, of which it wiU be our duty 

 to speak, but he has seldom a contracted foot. 



Ajiother source of contraction is the want of natural moisture. The 

 unshod colt has seldom contracted feet, nor does the horse at grass 

 acquire them, because the hoof is kept cool and damp by occasional rain, 

 and by the regular dew. It is thus rendered supple, and its elasticity is pre- 

 served, and the expansive power of the foot is uninjured. The hoof of 

 the stabled horse sometimes has not one drop of moisture on it for several 

 (lays. The effect of this, in the contraction of the horn, is sufficiently 

 evident. Hence the propriety of stopping the feet where there is the least 

 tendency to contraction. The intelligent and careful groom will not omit 

 it a single night. Cow-dung, with a small portion of clay to give it con- 

 sistence, is a common and very good stopping. A better one is cow-dung 

 with a small proportion of tar mixed with it. A good one is a piece of 

 thick felt cut to the shape of the sole and soaked in water. The common 

 stopping of tar and grease is peculiarly applicable to the crust or wall, 

 making it tough and elastic instead of being brittle and shelly. 



The usual management of the farmer's horse that is often turned out 

 after his daily task is exacted, or whose work is generally performed 

 where the feet are exposed to moisture, is an excellent preventive against 

 contraction. 



Some persons have complained much of the influence of litter. If the 

 horse stands many hours in the day with his feet imbedded in straw, it is 

 supposed that the hoof must be unnaturally heated ; and it is said that the 

 horn will contract under the influence of heat. It is seldom, however, 

 that the foot is so surrounded by the Ktter that its heat will be sufiiciently 

 increased to produce this effect. The question is not, however, whether 

 the litter will heat the feet, but to what extent. From its being a bad 

 conductor of heat, it is injurious ; and from this cause it will be found 

 that the heat of the feet, instead of being carried off as fast as it is gene- 

 rated, as it would be were it a good conductor, accumulates and produces 

 mischievous results. There are thousands of horses that stand upon straw 

 twenty hours out of the twenty- four, without receiving the slightest injury 

 from it. The author of this work is not one of those who would, during 

 the day, remove all litter from under the horse. It gives a nnked and 

 uncomfortable appearance to the stable. Humanity and a proper care of the 

 foot of the horse should induce the owner to keep some litter under the 

 animal during the day ; but his feet need not sink so deeply in it that 

 their temperature becomes much affected. If the straw is suffered to 

 remain until it is wet, hot, and rotten, the effluvia proceeding from it may 

 produce cough, or inflammation of the eyes, or thrushes in the feet ; but a 

 light bed of straw, with tolerable attention to cleanliness, can never do harm. 

 ' There are horses,' says Professor Stewart, ' that, in the habit of pawing 

 and stamping, slip about and sometimes lame themselves on the bare stones; 

 many disposed to lie down during the day will not, or ought not, to do it, 

 with a slight portion of litter under them. It is a frequent observation 

 without regard to road horses, and many others, that the more a horse 



