HORSESHOEING. 83 



Abundant exercise, proper grooming (flexibility and moist- 

 ness of the born), regular dressing of the wall, and running 

 barefoot from time to time favor growth ; while little or no 

 exercise, dryness, and excessive length of the hoof hinder 

 growth. 



The time required for the horn to grow from the coronet to 

 the ground is, therefore, equally variable, and is, inoreover, 

 dependent upon the height (length of toe) of the hoof. At the 

 toe the horn grows down in from eleven to thirteen months, 

 at the mammae or sides in from six to eight months, and at the 

 quarters in from three to five months. The time required for 

 the renewal of the entire hoof we term the period of hoof 

 renewal. If, for example, we know exactly the rapidity of 

 horn grovsrth in a given case, we can estimate without difficulty 

 the length of the " period of hoof renewal," as well for the 

 entire hoof as for each individual section of the wall. The 

 duration of many diseases of the hoof (cracks, clefts, partial 

 bendings of the wall, contractions, etc.) can be foretold with 

 relative certainty only by knowing the period of hoof renewal. 



Irregular growth sometimes takes place. The chief cause 

 of this is usually an improper distribution of the body-weight 

 over the hoof, — ^that is, an unbalanced foot. Wry hoofs of 

 faulty positions of the limbs are often exposed to this evil ; a 

 faulty preparation of the hoof (dressing) for the shoe, as well 

 as neglect of the colt's hoofs, is in the majority of cases directly 

 responsible for this condition. 



If in the shortening of the wall a part is from ignorance 

 left too long, or one-half of the hoof shortened too much in 

 relation to the other half, the foot will be unbalanced. The 

 horse will tlien touch the ground first with the section of wall 

 which has been left too high, and will continue to do so until 

 this long section has been reduced to its proper level (length) 

 by the increased wear which will take place at this point. In 

 unshod hoofs this levelling process takes place rapidly; such, 

 however, is not the case in shod hoofs, for here the shoe prevents 



