86 SOLE OE FOOT. 



the crust at tlie toe, and at tlie heels ; the width of the sole ; 

 the length of the foot from the posterior part of the frog to the 

 point of the toe ; and the rate at which the crust is usually 

 developed, or grown. I have found the average measurement 

 of fore feet of the best quality, of horses which range in height 

 from fifteen hands two inches to sixteen hands high, to be 

 as follows : — depth of hoof from the coronet to the point of the 

 toe, three and three quarter inches ; ditto at the heels, from 

 one and a half to nearly two inches ; width across ground 

 surface of sole at its broadest part, five inches ; length from 

 posterior or back part of the frog to the point of the toe, five 

 inches ; thickness of crust at the thickest parts, half an inch ; 

 width of outer half of ground surface of foot, from centre of 

 frog, two inches and about nine-sixteenths ; ditto of inner half 

 from same point of frog, two inches and barely three-eighths. 

 Angle of hoof at the toe, or at its deepest part, forty-five or 

 forty-six degrees; rate of growth of lioof, five-sixteentJis of an 

 inch per month. All hoofs, however, are not of the excellent 

 kind here described. The angle of some being much greater, 

 and of others less. Many hoofs are very little more than a 

 quarter of an inch in thickness at the thickest part. The 

 ground surface of the best class is always concave or vaulted 

 in form ; others of an inferior kind, are flat or nearly so ; 

 others again are convex, resembling the outer surface of an 

 oyster shell. Convex feet are always objectionable, the animal 

 possessing them being unfit for rapid locomotion. Many hoofs 

 are more than two inches deep at the heels ; others less than 

 one inch. The growth of feet also differs considerably. Some 

 grow rapidly at the toe, and scarcely at all at the heels or 

 quarters. Feet that are flat soled, or oyster-formed at the sole, 

 have this peculiarity of growth. In short, the endless variety 

 of feet as to form, size, strength, mode and rate of growth is 



