HORSE DOCTOR. 36 



wny for the hind ones to descend. Then, as occasioo- 

 allv hapficns witli horses not perfectly broken, and that 

 have not been taught their paces, and especially if they 

 have higli iiinder quarters and low fore ones, if the fore 

 feet are not raised in time, the hind feet will strike thena. 

 The fore foot will generally be caught when it has just 

 begim to be raised, and the toe of the hind foot will meet 

 the middle of the bottom of the fore foot. It is an un- 

 pleasant noise, and not altogether free from danger ; foi 

 it may so happen that a horse, the action of whose feet 

 generally so much interferes with each other, may ad- 

 vance the hind foot a little more rapidly, or raise the fore 

 one a little joore slowly, so that the blow may fall on 

 the heel of the shoe, and loosen or displace it ; or the 

 two shoes may be locked together, and the animal may 

 be thrown ; or the contusion may be received even 

 higher, and on the tendons of the leg, and considerable 

 swelling and lameness will follow. 



If the animal is young, the action of the horse may 

 be materially improved ; otherwise nothing can be done, 

 except to keep the toe of the hind foot as short and as 

 round as it can safely be, and to bevel off and round the 

 toe of the shoe, like that which has been worn by a 

 stumbler for a fortnight, and, perhaps, a little to lower 

 the heel of the fore foot, 



A blow received on the head of the fore foot in this 

 manner, has not unfrequently, and especially if neglected, 

 been followed by quittor. 



The heel most frequently suffers in overreaching, al- 

 though the pastern is sometimes injured. It usually, or 

 almost always, occurs in fast paces on deep ground. The 

 injury is inflicted by the edge of the inner part of the 

 shoe. The remedy is the cutting away the edge of the 

 shoe. 



PAWING. 



Some hot and irritable horses are restless even in the 

 stable, and paw frequently and violently. Their litter 

 is destroyed, the floor of the stable broken up, the shoes 



