THE HOKSE'S foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 257 



frog is, so the less do the heels meet the ground ; and 

 the more the heels are relieved, the greater ease does 

 the horse experience in progression. The only way 

 to insure this is to shoe him according to the method I 

 have indicated, as this causes him to walk on his frog, 

 which is the natural prop or basis — point cVappui — 

 for the flexor tendon." 



Fleming, in quoting this passage from Lafosse, 

 says, — 



*' The whole aim of Lafosse's teaching appears to have 

 been wisely devoted to the importance of allowing the 

 posterior parts of the foot to rest on the ground with- 

 out the intervention of the shoe." 



Again we select from Lafosse's work : — 



"It is useful and even necessary to put short shoes on 

 all flat feet, particularly on those which have the form 

 of an oyster-shell. Every flat foot has low heels ; but 

 Nature, to remedy this defect, bestows a large frog to 

 preserve these parts. We ought not, then, to pare 

 the soles, much less cut them out towards the heels ; 

 neither should the hoofs be too much rasped : all these 

 practices are so many abuses which bring about the 

 destruction of the horse's feet. The first abuse — 

 hollowing out the heels — is to destroy the horn which 

 forms the bars, and prevents the heels and quarters 

 from contracting: the second abuse — rasping the 

 foot — is to destroy the strength of the hoof, and, con- 

 sequently, to cause its horn to become dry, and the 

 horny laminae beneath to grow weak : from this often 



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