296 ON THE TREATMENT OF HORSES' FEET, 



others, who have the care of horses, as well as the 

 smith who shoes them, should become well acquainted 

 with this part of the foot, as also, with all other exter- 

 nal parts of it. I shall therefore give my opinion, 

 though briefly, on this matter, as far as I am capable 

 of judging from the practical knowledge I have been 

 able to derive from directing and superintending the 

 shoeing of horses for the last eighteen years, in the 

 regiment in which I have now the honour to serve. 

 From this practice, I am induced to coincide with the 

 opinion of Professor Coleman, and to think with him, 

 that this part of the foot (the frog), from its elastic and 

 wedge-like form, is intended to receive pressure, — but 

 certainly, not constant, artificial pressure, to the extent 

 and for the length of time it has often been applied. 

 I think that wearing the iron frog in the stables, and 

 also wearing bar shoes, if continued for several shoe- 

 ings, generally bring on diseased frogs, — that is to say, 

 if these are applied for the purposes for which such 

 shoes are usually intended ; which is to take the pres- 

 sure off the heels of such horses' feet as may have 

 them diseased from corns or any other cause. Under 

 these circumstances, it is, of course, necessary to apply 

 bar shoes, having previously removed a certain portion 

 of horn from the parts diseased, to prevent, as much 

 as possible, such parts coming in contact with pressure. 

 Which being effectually done, the bar shoe is applied, 

 and the frog, if sound and of sufficient substance, now 

 receives a great poition of pressure, which I consider 

 to be artificial, and which, if continued for a long time. 



