THE HORSE EiDUCATOE, 97 



tliey grow clown v»itli the rest of the hoof and 

 are finally, after repeated shoeing, removed by 

 the knife. 



As these holes cannot possibly grov/ down and 

 be remoyed under three shoeings, it will be found 

 that even with a small nnmber of nails, that 

 three times that nnmber of holes must exist in 

 the hoof all the while, and as they are often 

 from various causes extended into each other, 

 they necessarily keep it in a brittle, unhealthy 

 state, and materially interfere with the future 

 nail hold, as the position of the foot and the 

 nature of its office render it less hable to injury 

 than the fore foot, consequently it less frequently 

 lames; however, disease of the nervicular bone 

 of this foot is by no means impossible. The same 

 care should be taken as with the forefoot. Calks, 

 although they may be turned down of perfectly 

 even length on each side (which is seldom done) 

 are objectionable appendages, and should be 

 dispensed with except, perhaps, for very heavy 



