XIV. 

 DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



Perhaps no greater curse has ever been inflicted upon the 

 horse than that of shoeing. So great is the ignorance prevailing 

 among owners, shoers, and managers of horses, that most cases 

 of lameness arise from mismanagement of the feet. The num- 

 ber of horses lame from bad shoeing is something enormous. It 

 is not my intention here to enter minutely into the question of 

 horseshoeing, but I hope that I may prevent, as far as possible, 

 the unnecessary infliction of evils upon the horse by pointing 

 out wherein they exist, and recommending a better practice than 

 is usual in the art of shoeing. But little progress has been made 

 in horseshoeing. It is scarcely better understood now than a 

 century ago. The prevalent evils in the practice of shoeing 

 arise not so much from want of knowledge as from carelessness 

 on the part of workmen. By this indifference and ignorance, 

 the animal's feet are injured, often ruined for life. ^Nfany 

 times it causes disease which ruin not only the feet, but other 

 and more vital parts. We frequently meet shoers so extremely 

 clever that they imagine they can improve upon nature. Chang- 

 ing the foot has caused irreparable injury to the ligaments and 

 tendons. 



Every owner should take pains to understand thoroug'hly the 

 horse's feet. He should accompany the horse to the forge; by 

 doing so he will save expense to himself and ])unishment to the 

 horse. In moving the old shoes, the smith should raise the 

 clinchers before removing the shoe, and not violently wrench or 

 twist the shoe off, without cutting the clinchers, as is usual. If 

 the clinchers are not cut, the nail-holes will be torn larger, the 

 future steady hold of the shoe weakened, sometimes tearing the 

 crust and otherwise injuring the foot. The shoe having been 



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