174 



THE FOOT IN ITS KELATION TO THE ENTIRE LIMB. 



body-weight in the former case falling more on the anterior, in 

 the latter on the posterior half of the hoof. 



Goyau states that, given normal conditions, the resultant of 

 the body-weight may be represented as passing through the 

 centre of the foot. I.e., through the line formed by the intersec- 

 tion of the longitudinal and transverse axes, and that any 

 reduction of the weight-bearing surface of the hoof, either in 

 front, behind, or on either side, brings the part so reduced 



Fig. 147.— Normal conformation of limbs as viewed from the side. 



nearer the centre of transmission of weight, and hence causes it 

 to be unduly loaded, inasmuch as each unit of surface carries 

 relatively more weight. 



Pader has studied this subject very carefully by means of 

 an ingenious apparatus of his own, and, although we cannot 

 describe his experiments at length, we may state his conclusions, 

 which are as follows : — 



1, At rest, the centre of transmission of weight falls in 

 front of the centre of the sole, about midway between the centre 

 of the sole and the point of the frog. 



