THE FORE-FEET. 69 



pasterns are well formed and favourably united, they 

 will stand an immense deal of work mthout the super- 

 vention of ring-bones, or any other disease. When 

 the heel is very low and the foot thin, the bones of the 

 pastern will obseiwe such a dii-ection as to produce a 

 sinking at the coronet, and probably a knuckling for- 

 ward at the lower end of the shank besides. This will 

 cause a stress on the sinews and ligaments, and the 

 formation altogether is a very bad one. On the other 

 hand, when the heel is too high, there will be a want 

 of proper elasticity in the pastern, and the parts are 

 predisposed to disease. 



The ground-sm-face of the foot is deseiwing of con- 

 sideration. It should not be either very flat or very 

 hoUow. A flat sole can hardly be prevented from de- 

 scending so far as to cause lameness, by pressure against 

 the shoe, whilst an extremely hollow one is indicative 

 of contraction, present or futm*e. Here, again, the 

 medium state is the best. 



The frog must be large, elastic, and healthy-looking. 

 It should be kept particularly free from thrushes. The 

 inflammation and discharge connected with them are 

 sm-e, if allowed to continue, to end in most serious, 

 and perhaps m-emediable, injmy to the delicate parts 

 within. They will cause lameness for the time being, 

 and ultimately contraction of the heel. A gTcat deal of 

 the soundness of the foot depends upon the condition 

 of the frog. If it is allowed to get too dry and 



