THE FOOT. 327 



of the pasture maintain it in a state of humidity favorable to the 

 preservation of its form. 



C. Beauties of the Foot. 



The volume of the foot is susceptible of variation in notable pro- 

 portions without being necessarily considered defective. English 



horses, as well as those of Algeria and Central France, generally have 

 a small, hard, and resisting foot. Those of the common races, and of 

 a lymphatic temperament, raised in low and damp districts, on the 

 contrary, have this region more voluminous. It should, in all cases, 

 be proportional to the height of the horse, his weight, his conforma- 

 tion, and his special aptitudes. The width of the hock, measured from 

 the point to the bend of this articulation, equals that of the hoof from 

 the toe to the heel, or at least very nearly, in a beautiful draught-horse. 

 It is always more considerable in pleasure-horses, whose feet are never- 

 theless well formed. 



" The unshod foot of a horse bred on favorable soil and sufficiently 

 exercised is a type of beauty and perfection. Compared to the foot 

 that has been shod, it is large, strong, as wide as long, and in proper 

 equilibrium ; it constitutes a solid support. 



"Viewed in front, it is narrower above than below, more expanded 

 externally than internally, and of equal height at its quarters. 



" Viewed in profile, the line of the toe has a mean inclination ; l the 

 height of the heels is equal to at least one-half of the height of the 

 toe. 



"Viewed from behind, the heels of the standard foot are well 

 separated, equal, of the same height, and fall vertically to the ground, 

 especially the internal, which is sensibly more vertical than the 

 external. 



" Viewed from below, its sole is hollow and thick, the frog strong, 

 healthy, and quite hard ; the bars neither too straight nor too much 

 inclined ; the toe and the mammae of the wall and the sole are percep- 

 tibly worn from usage. 



" The horn of the standard foot is black or dark gray ; the wall, 

 smooth and shiny, shows its fibrous structure." 2 



Such are the characters of the virgin foot which we have repre- 

 sented in the text. 3 



1 About 50 degrees for the front feet and 60 for the hind. 



2 Commission d'hygiene hippique, loc. cit., p. 56. 



3 See, for more details, Mathieu, De la face inf&rieure du sabot, chez le cheval vierge de 

 ferrure, in Recueil de m6decine vt6rinaire, annee 1876, p. 761. 



