FACTORS DETERMINING POSITION OF GREATEST WEAR. 



209 



the perforans at the expense of the perforatus. Excessive 

 length of the toe is therefore more injurious than the opposite 

 condition because of the importance of the perforans. 



The bearing of the hoof is normal when all parts of the bear- 

 ing surface of the wall or of the shoe meet the ground at the 

 same time, and when the toe wall and heel, viewed from the 

 side, correspond in direction with the common axis of the 

 bones of the foot. 



It must always be a matter for the judgment of the farrier, 

 when paring the foot, to what extent he shall adopt the in- 

 dications given by the wearing of the heels or of the toe, but 



Fig. 201.— Two feet seen from the side ; iu a the toe is too long, in h the heels. 

 The dotted lines indicate the correct relations between hoof and pastern. 



this much seems quite certain, that wearing of the heels 

 necessitates shortening of the toes, and marked wearing of any 

 part of the shoe generally shows that the portion of the wall 

 above that spot needs lowering, or that the shoe is too narrow 

 at that point ; but in all doubtful cases a final judgment should 

 be deferred until the horse has been seen in motion. 



We say generally, because it must be remembered that wear 

 depends not only on conformation but on pace and the nature 

 of the work performed. Thus the spavined horse wears most 

 at the toe. The stepping horse and the fast trotter wear at 

 the heels. The saddle horse wears all parts evenly. The 

 draught horse wears the toe excessively. To lower the toe of 

 the spavined horse and of the horse with low heels is good 

 practice, but to do the same with the heavy draught horse, or to 

 lower the heels of the stepping horse, would be a grave error. 



Finally, it should be remembered that in changing from flat 

 shoes to shoes with heels, or vice versa, the hoof must be properly 

 prepared so as to preserve the relations between the axes of 







