252 THE PERFECT HOKSE. 



aspect. This accident is termed *a sand-crack/ — seime^ 

 — and the horse is lame. 



" 26. The fashion of paring the hoofs, and especially 

 the heels, within which are the bars, causes contraction ; 

 and this renders the horse lame. 



*' 27. It is an abuse to rasp the hoofs of horses : this 

 alters the hoof, and forms sand-cracks. 



"28. If a horse which has pared hoofs happens to lose 

 his shoes, and walks without them, the horn is quickly 

 used, and the feet damaged. 



"29. Another defect is in the manner of making large 

 nail-holes in the shoes, &c. 



"30. The majority of farriers, in order to pare the 

 sole well, cut it until it bleeds ; and, to stop the hemor- 

 rhage, they burn the place with a hot iron, and the 

 horse returns lame to his stable." 



In reference to this, Fleming says, — 



"We see, then, that the curse of paring and heavy 

 shoes was causing great evils in the days of Lafosse, as 

 much as in our own. After enumerating all the vices 

 and defects of shoeing as it was then practised, he pro- 

 ceeds to lay the foundation for a rational method ; and 

 his remarks to this end are particularly happy. In a 

 state of nature, he observes, all the inferior parts of the 

 foot concur to sustain the weight of the body : then we 

 observe that the heels and the frogs — the parts said to 

 be most exposed — are never damaged by wear ; that 

 the wall, or crust, is alone worn in going on hard ground ; 

 and that it is only this part which must be protected, 



