82 HORSESHOEING. 



and from behind, the bulbs of the heels should be well rounded, 

 strongly developed, and not displaced. The concave sole should 

 show no separation along the white line. The frog should be 

 strong, well developed, and have symmetrical branches and a 

 broad, shallow, dry median lacuna. The lateral lacunae of the 

 frog should be clean and not too narrow. The bars should pass 

 in a straight direction forward and inward towards the point 

 of the frog. Any bending outward of the bars towards the 

 branches of the sole indicates the beginning of a narrowing 

 of the space occupied by the frog, — ^that is, contraction of the 

 heels. The horn of the branches of the sole in the buttresses 

 and in their proximity should show no red staining. The 

 lateral cartilages should be elastic. No part of the foot should 

 be weakened at the coist of other parts. By firm union of all 

 strong parts the strength and vigor of the hoof is in no sense 

 disturbed. // one desires to ascertain the exact form and state 

 of health of the hoof, it must never he inspected and judged 

 alone, hut in connection with the entire limb. 



F. Growth of the Hoof and Wear of the Hoof and Shoe. 



All parts of the horn of the hoof grow downward and for- 

 ward, the material for this growth being furnished by the re- 

 markably large quantity of blood which flows to the pododerm. 

 The growth of the hoof is regulated by the nerves. 



As a rule, the hoof grows uniformly, — ^that is, one section 

 of the wall grows just as rapidly as another. A visible indication 

 of growth is the increase in height and width of the hoof from 

 colthood to maturity. 



The rapidity of growth of the wall varies, amounting in a 

 month to from one-«ixth to one-half of an inch. The average 

 monthly growth in both shod and unshod horses of both feexes 

 is, according to my own experiments, one-third of an inch. 

 Hind hoofs grow faster than front hoofs, and unshod faster 

 than shod. The hoofs of stallions grow more slowly than 

 those of mares and geldings. 



