The Horse's Feet and Their Care 173 



The lateral cartilages are attached, one on either side of the 

 wings of the coffin bone, by their inferior borders. They are 

 thin plates of fibro cartilage, and their function is to assist the 

 frog and adjacent strnctiires in regaining their proper position 

 after having been displaced by the weight of the body while the 

 foot rested on the ground. 



FAULTS OF CONFORMATION 



A large percentage of the horses have feet which are not perfect 

 in conformation. As a consequence of these imperfections they 

 are especially predisposed to certain injuries and diseases. 



Flat feet is that condition in which the sole has little or no 

 convexity. It is a peculiarity common to some breeds, especially 

 heavy, l_>Tnphatic animals raised on low marshy soils. It is con- 

 lined to the fore feet, which are generally broad, with low heels 

 and a wall less upright than is seen in the perfect foot. 



In the flat foot there can be little or no elasticity in the sole 

 for the reason that it has no arch, and the weight of the animal 

 is received on the entire plantar surface, instead of on the wall, 

 as the foot rests upon the ground. For these reasons such feet 

 are particularly liable to bruises of the sole, to corns, pumiced sole, 

 and excessive suppuration when the process is once established. 



So far as possible, horses with flat feet should be shod with a 

 shoe having a wide web, but a great many of such horses cannot 

 stand the pressure on the coflin bone. In such cases I shoe around 

 the outer edge with a narrow-web bar shoe, just paring the frog 

 and heels enough to give a level bearing, and to keep the frog from 

 turning to one side or the other. The heels of the shoe are then 

 a little higher than the toe, and the foot is kept as narrow and as 

 short as possible. In this way I have been able to greatly improve 

 some very bad cases of flat feet. 



The walls of flat feet are generally weak, and to improve the 

 foot the nails should be as small as the work of the horse will 

 permit. They should not be driven too high, but so as to get a low 

 deep hold in the hoof. Never let the shoe get loose and crumble 

 the shell off the hoof. 



Club foot is the term applied to such feet as have the walls set 

 nearly perpendicular. When this condition is present the heels 



