HUNTERS 165 



Q. Is there anything special to be noted about 

 the fetlocks ? 



A. It is not wise to clip away the long hair 

 from the back of the fetlocks, which is intended 

 by Nature to drain away water from the heels, 

 and if left alone is a great preventative of cracked 

 heels. People do not seem in many cases to 

 believe that it is better to leave Nature's arrange- 

 ments alone, for she has invariably thought the 

 thing well out, while the person who makes a 

 drastic change to gratify a whim has usually 

 never given a single thought to the subject at all, 

 and is often not really a practical man. 



The fetlocks are a most likely place to be struck 

 by the opposite foot if the conformation is not 

 quite perfect. They should then be protected 

 by some form of boot ; but attention should also 

 be directed to so altering the tread of the affected 

 leg that the fetlock is slightly inclined away 

 from the offending hoof. This can be only done 

 by thickening the inside quarter of the shoe, 

 so as to throw the weight of the body more on 

 the outside of the foot. Persons who do not 

 reflect deeply are apt to alter the shoe of the 

 offending foot, but beyond taking care that it 

 does not project in the least beyond the crust, 

 and is instead kept well within it, nothing can 

 be done, except lightening the shoe altogether, 

 in hopes that the action may be raised a little 

 higher and so miss the place. Almost a hair's 

 breadth will sometimes make all the difference. 

 Many a horse that hits himself badly with 

 ordinary shoes will escape scot free when shod 

 on the Charlier system. 



A very practical way of detecting what part of 

 the shoe is doing the mischief is to mix some 



