TRAINING, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT. TI7 



pared quite thin, and bruises were showing, caused by 

 the rough metal. The frog was cut clean away. The 

 same treatment was the cause of " Butterfly's " lame- 

 ness, referred to a few pages back. 



A smith can with a sharp knife pare away in a few 

 seconds more frog and sole than will grow in six 

 months. It is almost worse in my opinion to cut and 

 mutilate the frog than it is the sole, as shod or unshod 

 the frog should touch the ground. The natural crust 

 or shoe will prevent too much pressure being put upon 

 the frog. Any superfluity of sole will be shed by a 

 natural process. The jar of the foot coming into 

 contact with the ground is sufficient to bring the 

 pieces away. The sole is not constructed to come in 

 heavy and continuous contact with the ground, 

 because it is naturally concave. The frog is always, 

 in an unshod healthy foot, level with the crust. 



Opening of the heels should never be permitted. 

 The use of the knife on this particular portion of the 

 horse's foot promotes contraction, and weakens what 

 is already the weakest portion of the wall of the foot. 

 The bars are generally most abused and weakened b}' 

 the knife. The smith, thinking these parts useless, 

 cuts them out, and so the foot loses one of its principal 

 supports. 



Corns. — I think the name rather a mistake. The 

 disease is not a corn as we understand the word, but 

 simply a bruise, arising from two causes, viz. — first, 



