144 THE SUMMERING OF HUNTERS. 



of the foot. In a few weeks after the proper bear- 

 ings of a foot are altered, the part affected will 

 show it by enlarging ; thus, if the toe gets too long, 

 the back of the fetlock will enlarge from the altered 

 leverage setting the parts here at a disadvantage. 

 A toe getting too short will have a tendency to tilt 

 the pasterns up, and render the fetlock liable to 

 sudden " knuckling over." Should the outside of a 

 foot and shoe get worn too low, the weight is thrown 

 on the outside of the fetlock, and this continuing 

 an enlargement here will appear. Should the inside 

 of the foot and shoe get too much worn, the inside 

 of the fetlock will enlarge, and so forth. The 

 firing-iron does no good applied to conditions such as 

 we have last named, but it often gets the credit of 

 it. If the horse is to be fired over an enlarged 

 fetlock, before the operation his shoe is removed, and 

 the foot is nicely dressed and the bearing surface 

 of the foot set square. Then he has no shoes at all 

 put on, or only thin plates, is fired, and placed in 

 a loose box for a few weeks. Then the enlargement 

 disappears entirel.y, and the firing (?) has done 

 wonders. Perhaps, instead of firing, blistering is 

 thought to be the best. Now what takes place? 

 The shoes are not removed, the uneven bearing 

 surface remains and maintains the need of the en- 

 largements, consequently the blister has no effect. 

 In all these cases of enlargements or hypertrophies 

 the removal of the conditions which call them into 

 being alone will remove them, and it is a positive 



