Number 19 shows the form of foot most frequently 

 found on the elbow hitter, though numbers 21 and 23 

 are also forms that will create this bad action but not 

 so frequently as number 19. The enlargement at the 

 ankle on number 23 shows one of the very frequent 

 results of the use of toe or side weights, for they force 

 the animal to an action not warranted by the condi- 

 tion of the articulation. 19 and 21 are the sort of fore 

 feet usually found on the forger, and scalping is fre- 

 quently caused by them, though in the case of scalp- 

 ing the hind feet also are often found to be at fault. 

 The primary cause of the foot getting up to and inter- 

 fering with the elbow is this: the extra exertion of the 

 flexor tendon required to flex this long toe, is such, 

 that when the foot does leave the ground, it does so 

 with great force and rapidity of action; it is, conse- 

 quently, by this intense pull on it, carried higher than 

 it would be, if flexed with the ease of the foot of pro- 

 per proportion and smooth articulation, and which 

 would leave the ground with an easy and pleasing 

 action of the flexors. The author has cured this 

 habit, arising from such a foot as shown by number 

 19, by lessening the depth of the front of the foot, with 

 the rasp on the surface of the wall and by also using 

 the rasp around the outside of the wall on the front of 

 the foot, removing the elongated toe; after having thus 

 prepared the foot, he would adjust to it a shoe of 

 equal thickness from heel to heel, unless the heels 

 were too low in proportion, in which case he would 

 put slight calkins on the heels of the shoe to increase 

 the depth, (of shoe and foot) to proper angle, until the 

 heels shall have time to grow down to requisite 

 depth, then use a plain shoe. The heel calkins would 

 assist in resting the joints, tendons and muscles, 

 though they would not change the faulty articulation, 

 for that could be done only by growing the foot into 

 proper proportion and angle. 



Number 24 exhibits a not infrequent badly formed 

 hind foot — contracted — as is usually the case with the 

 hind foot, contrary to that most frequent with the 

 fore feet— on the outside. For this foot fit the shoe 

 even with the w^all all around from inside heel to 



"48 



