334 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



which the coronet as well as the fetlock are strongly displaced forward, 

 from the retraction of the ligaments and the tendons primarily, and 

 the elongation of the heels secondarily. This defect sometimes exists 

 to such a degree that the anterior face of the wall touches the ground 

 at each step. 



" When a club-foot is of long standing, a modification of the artic- 

 ular surfaces of the phalanges takes place, and the disease is then 

 incurable. If, however, the accident is recent and due especially to 

 contraction of the flexor tendons, the horse still has some value, for the 

 operation of tenotomy can sometimes straighten the foot, though the 

 member may not entirely regain its original strength." 



4. Defects of Quality of the Horn. 



Soft Foot. The foot is thus characterized when the horn is soft, 

 without consistency, and yielding to pressure. The wall and the sole, 

 in spite of the large volume of the hoof, are thinner than in ordinary 

 conditions. Hence such a foot is difficult to shoe. 



The clinches of the nails easily tear through the soft horn and will 

 not hold the shoe. The foot is easily pricked in driving the nail, on 

 account of the thinness of the wall. Finally, the horse is subject, for 

 the same reason, to contusions of the sole, contusions which are so 

 much more frequent as the foot is heavy and the knee-action high. 

 The shoeing consists of a light, semi-covered shoe, to be nailed on with 

 thin nails. 



Dry Foot. The dry foot is one whose horn is hard, dry, and 

 brittle. The latter grows slowly and breaks readily when the foot is 

 unshod or when too heavy nails are employed in fastening the shoe. 

 Exposed to the same accidents as the soft foot, it must be dealt with in 

 the same cautious way. 



Broken Foot. The foot is called broken when more or less 

 extensive areas of the wall along its plantar border are broken or 

 chipped off, so as to interfere with the regular distribution of the nails. 



In the unshod horse, the best hoof is susceptible of breaking acci- 

 dentally, but most often this defect depends upon a poor quality of the 

 horn, which is too soft or too brittle. It is more serious than is 

 believed, on account of the extreme care which it demands from the 

 farrier. The nail-holes of the shoe can only be placed at those points 

 where the wall is still intact. The nails must not be driven too close 

 to the edges under the penalty of breaking the horn still more. The 

 latter circumstance would necessitate too many shoulders or tongues on 



