WEAR OF THE SHOE. 195 



the horse's limbs ; in this case the entire formation must be 

 taken into consideration. 4. By shortening the stride ; this 

 always produces severe wear of the toe. The stride is 

 shortened and the horse treads on his toe when his progress is 

 checked by the curb or by too heavy a load. 



Wear of the shoe may be caused principally as the foot 

 either meets the ground or leaves it. In the latter case it is 

 always at the toe, in the former it may be at the toe, at one 

 or other quarter, or at the heels, or it may be distributed over 

 the entire surface of the shoe. Both kinds of wear fall on the 

 toe when this part has been left too long, when the horse is 

 in heavy draught or in fast saddle work, when it is suffering 

 from thrush, contraction of the flexor tendons, spavin, or from 

 any of those conditions in which the action of the fetlock is 

 limited. 



The wear produced by bringing the foot to the ground is 

 greatest on the outer quarter when this is higher than the 

 inner, or when the corresponding part of the shoe is too 

 narrow, as well as when the toe is turned out. As, in the 

 last case, the wear produced when the toe leaves the groimd 

 is most marked at the inner side, an expert can sometimes 

 diagnose the conformation of the limb from the wear of the 

 shoe. In the following pages the wear produced when the 

 foot comes in contact with the ground will be referred to as 

 descent, falling, or extension wear ; that produced as the toe 

 leaves the ground as ascent, lifting, or flexion wear. Descent 

 or extension wear is very seldom seen on the inner limb of 

 the shoe, a fact explained by the way in which the working 

 horse usually treads. 



It is, however, seen at the heels in horses which suffer from 

 laminitis or which go on their heels. 



This short resum6 indicates, that 'from the wear exhibited 

 by the old shoe may be more or less accurately learned the 

 conformation and distribution of weight in the limb, the proper 

 way to pare the hoof, and the position, form, and length to be 

 given to the shoe, all of which are of immense importance in 

 practical farriery. The old shoe is the model from which the 

 new must be formed, not that it should be followed slavishly, 

 but used as a guide to possible improvement. To read its 

 lessons aright demands keen observation and careful reflection. 



