HORSE-SHOEING. 



197 



majority of cases arises from the irritation caused to the sensitive 

 parts within by the removal of their natural protection, but 

 more particularly from the fact that the nails, to retain the shoe, 

 must be driven through a sufficient amount of soft horn, and this 

 brings them so near the living parts that they press upon them 

 to such a degree as to set up an acute or subacute inflammation 

 that leads to this deformity and its attendant lameness. 



Cases of this description will be found to be by no means 

 uncommon among the horses in our streets, and for many years 

 I have been able to trace the evil effects of the practice from 

 their commencement until the animal was a hopeless cripple. 



When the coachman, groom, or farrier's fancy causes the rasp 

 to be carried above the clenches to the top of the hoof, then of 

 course the injury is greatly aggravated. 



The thin, semi-translucent horn that extends in a somewhat 

 wide, whitish-colored band around the upper part of the foot, is 

 chiefly intended by Nature, I think, to protect the fibres of the 

 wall from the effects of external physical influences, such as heat 

 and dryness, while they are being secreted, or so immature as to 

 be incapable of resisting these influences— for it will be remem- 

 bered that the wall is formed at the coronet, and this covering 

 guarantees not only the integrity of the newly-made horn-tubes, 

 but also maintains the secreting vessels that enter them in a 

 healthy condition, and competent to supply fresh material for 



The destruction of this band and the rasping of the fibres 

 beneath it, is detrimental to the healthy secretion of the wall- 

 fibres, and leads to the same result that paring the sole was shown 

 to do— shrinking of the horn-tubes containing the tufts of vessels, 

 wasting of these, a diminished supply of horny material in con- 

 sequence, and a thin, brittle wall that scarcely appears to grow 

 down at all in depth or thickness, and barely allows a shoe to be 



