no 



THE FAMILY HORSE. 



the heel is shoved under the plate, care being used not to let it lie in 

 lumps, but to make a firm, even cushion, bearing equally on sole 

 and frog. The shod foot is illustrated in figure 69. 



Overreaching is striking the heel of the fore foot by the hind 

 one when traveling rapidly. The trouble is caused by lack of 

 promptness in picking up the fore feet. The usual method of shoe- 

 ing to guard against this is to shorten the toes of the hind shoes. 

 This is not always an effective preventive, for it is not tlie toe but 

 the under edge of the hind shoe that does the mischief. The more 

 recent method is to shorten the toes of the forward shoes, and make 

 them as light as possible, and make the hind shoes heavy at the 

 toes, so that the horse will pick up his fore feet in time to get them 

 out of the way of the hind ones. 



Corns are bruises of the sensitive sole in the inside quarter of 

 one or both fore feet. The primary cause is shoeing in such a man- 

 ner as to keep the frog from touching the ground. It is not easy to 

 detect their presence, though lameness 

 ensues in bad or neglected cases. But if the 

 horse goes lame when trotting on a hard 

 road, stands uneasily upon his fore feet, and 

 tries to bear his weight upon their outer 

 side, corns may be suspected. The shoes 

 should be removed, and the sole in the angle 

 between the inner quarter and the bars of 

 the lame feet pared. If there are corns, an 

 inflamed appearance will be found, the horn 

 soft and spongy, and in bad cases suppura- 

 tion. All morbid substance is to be cut out, 

 leaving the bars and frog untouched. The 

 following dressing may be applied : Melt 

 together four ounces each of beeswax and 

 tar, add six ounces of glycerine and two 

 drachms of nitric acid, and stir tiU cold. 

 The feet must be shod in a manner to give 

 the frog its natural action. The old method is to put on bar shoes, 

 which give temporary relief, as the frog rests upon the bars. But 

 it is much better to shoe the horse so that the frog can touch the 

 ground at every step. If it is not to be driven on hard pavements, 

 tips are sufficient ; otherwise shoes must be used which are light 

 and without calkins. 



Sand Crack is a fissure in the horny wall, extending from the 

 coronet to the lower edge. In severe or long-continued cases the 



Fig. 69.— THE FOOT SHOD. 



