The Horse's Feet a^b Their Care 181 



toe of the foot straight in line with the body. The inside of the 

 foot should be kept smooth, and the nails should not be per- 

 mitted to come ont of the shoes to twist across the foot, as I have 

 seen done in many p case. This is apt to cause sores that may 

 run into scratches, grease heel, big ankles and lame horses. 



DO XOT BURN THE HOOF 



The practice of clipping and burning the hoof is very destruc- 

 tive. Using the language of Prof. Russell : " Burning the sole 

 will in time partially destroy the sensitive laminae and impair 

 the membraneous lining underneath the coffin bone, as well as 

 closing the pores on the horn, causing the hoof to become dry, 

 hard and brittle. It also impedes to a certain extent, as a neces- 

 sary consequence, the healthy growth of the foot and hoof." 



The advocates of hot-fitting present many specious reasons for 

 the furtherance of the practice. It is alleged that shoes cannot be 

 fitted so rapidly nor so closely by means other than hot fitting, 

 and this is generally true; for by this means the hoof is burned 

 to correspond with inequalities w^hich occur on the surface of the 

 shoes, until the latter is thoroughly imbeded in the horn. On the 

 other hand, this fusing of the horn is in opposition to its right 

 growth and operation, and it is the prolific source of many evils 

 and abuses. The horn, being' a non-conductor of heat, is slowly 

 aft'ected by it. It is said that three minutes burning of the lower 

 face of the sole is necessary to produce any indicatioai of increase 

 of temperature on its upper surface. This is a fallacy, as I have 

 proven many times by operating upon green specimens with soles 

 of varied thickness. The soles of ordinary depth were penetrated 

 by heat when heated shoes were applied for the time specified, 

 and the sensitive sole was found to be scorched. The laminae in 

 their connections with the sole were burned and charred. In the 

 living subject these effects would have brought serious results. 

 My experiments have convinced me that the foot of the horse may 

 in no sense be compared to an inanimate block of wood which 

 may be charred and carved as caprice may dictate. It is filled 

 with life and feeling, and therefore its treatment requires 

 thought, care and skill. 



The economy of labor attained in the process of hot-fitting will, 



