40 JUDGING HEAVY HORSES 



that they are completely free from puflSness, sidebones or 

 other diseases or blemishes. 



It may be stated here that pasterns that are upright in a 

 mature horse generally become more so with age and the 

 action depreciates in proportion. Such a conformation gives 

 but .slight command of the feet and the horse that has it 

 literally forces the feet into the ground or batters them on 

 the hard pavement of the city streets. 



69. Feet — Large, Dense, Concave Sole, Large Frog, 

 Diseases and defects of the foot are exceedingly prevalent 

 among heavy horses. As sound feet are rather the excep- 

 tion, and this is an important structure, considerable 

 attention should be directed to it. The foot is made up of 

 three bones. These are covered by a highly sensitive secret- 

 ing layer. The external surface is made up of the wall, sole 

 and frog. In shape the proper foot is somewhat irregular 

 as the outer quarter running back to the sole curves consid- 

 erably outward, while the inner quarter is straighter. This 

 shape it will be easily seen not only gives a strong hold 

 upon the ground, but it also decreases the possibility of the 

 inner edge of the foot striking the opposite leg or interfer- 

 ing. In color the foot should be dark and it .should have 

 a waxy appearance. The angle formed by the hoof from the 

 ground to the top .should be about fifty degrees. One of the 

 parts to be examined most critically is the frog. This should 

 be plump, large and elastic. Just above the frog is what is 

 known as the sensitive frog, which is a mass of blood vessels 

 and nerves and above this again is a fatty frog which acts as 

 a buffer. On top of the latter is the small navicular bone. 

 This bone is enveloped in a very sensitive secreting mem- 

 brane and if this becomes irritated in the least through con- 

 cussion resulting from the frog not fulfilling its functions as 

 a buffer then inflammation at once sets in; the fluid for lubri- 

 cating the joint is not secreted ; then follows absorption of 

 the cartilage and finally disease of the bone which interferes 



