SHOEING AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FEET. 309 



and not the hoof to the shoe ; and this law has been admitted 

 by all succeeding veterinarians ; first, as it regards the foot ia 

 a sound healthy state, and likewise when defective or deformed. 

 Notwithstanding this agreement with respect to the funda- 

 mental law of shoeing, there has been a considerable difference 

 of opinion as to the pi'actice of shoeing, each party bringing 

 forward jjlausible arguments in defence of his favourite method. 

 It has always appeared to me that it is desirable to reduce 

 this useful art to as great a degree of simplicity as possible ; 

 and to attain this desirable object, we cannot, I think, clioose 

 a better guide than Nature. Let us take a view of the 

 horse then that has never been shod, and observe in what 

 manner the foot bears on the ground. We shall then find that 

 the outer edge of the bottom of the foot, named the wall, or 

 crust, forms a large portion of a circle, as in the annexed figure, 



and that the deficiency in this circle is 

 filled up by the frog. If we look at the 

 foot as it stands on a flat surface, we 

 shall find that every part of the ex- 

 ternal portion of the circle is in contact 

 with the ground ; I think, therefore, that 

 this should be considered as the natural 

 bearing of the hoof, as the horny sole 

 which lies within this circle is rather 

 „. ^, ^ , concave, or hollow, so that it receives 



ii". 1. T/ie Bottom of the , • , .11 , i 



Foot. ^o bearmg when the horse stands on a 



a a Tiie fro"-. plain hard surface. Sometimes the frog 



b b, The bars. is Sufficiently prominent to take a part in 



cc. The sole. this bearing ; more frequently, however, 



dd. The seat of corns. • • ,1 . .1 ^ -.i ,1 1 



it IS otherwise, so that neither the sole nor 

 the frog has any bearing unless the horse stands on soft ground, 



which allows the outer part, or crust to 

 sink sufficiently into it. From this view 

 of the foot it is obvious, I think, that 

 having rasped the bottom of the foot, d, 

 to a level surface, there can be no diffi- 

 culty in covering it with a circular piece 

 of iron, of sufficient width and thickness 

 to have nail holes punched in it, as well 

 Fig. 2. French Shoe. as to rcsist the prcssurc and blows to 



a. The ground surface with which itns CXpOSCd. 



the large counter-sunk nail JST^^y Jg^ ^^g Pgg }^q^ f.^^. i]^q French 



fccl'l'side-view of the shoe, n^^thod of shoeing, SO highly extolled by 

 showing its ajusture. soiuc English Veterinarians, is conform- 



b h, represents the ground or able to thc law SO Universally admitted. 



c c:thrr; wu.. the eleva. ^l^ey direct the smith to^ alter this 

 vation at the toe and heel, uniform bearing of tlic outcr circle of the 



X 3 ■ 



