346 GROOMING. 



extent by the exercise taken during the time of its action ; 

 because the increased blood supply not only warms the skin 

 of the legs and thus helps it to drive off adhering moisture, 

 but it also stimulates evaporation of moisture from the hoof, 

 and especially from the frog. Besides weakening the horn, 

 washing the legs and feet has a strong predisposing influence 

 in producing cracked heels, mud fever, and thrush. 



Greasing and stopping the feet. Although an impermeable 

 covering, like varnish, might do harm to the wall of the hoof 

 by preventing transpiration, I see no objection to the appli- 

 cation of hoof ointment or other greasy matter (neats' foot 

 oil, or lanoline, for instance) to that surface, for the sake 

 of appearance. Grease has a good influence on the 

 growth of human hair, although it is unfashionable for 

 toilette purposes ; and hair and horn are merely varieties 

 of the same substance (epithelium). Whatever may be the 

 stuff which is put on the hoof, as much of it as practicable 

 should be removed by rubbing, so that it may not soil the 

 hands, if the foot is picked up, and that dirt may not adhere 

 to it. The fact that a horse, after a day's hunting, some- 

 times returns to his stable with his feet full of clay picked 

 up from the ground over which he had been galloping, might 

 be used as an argument that it is natural for a horse to have 

 his feet stopped with clay. The answer is, that unshod 

 feet do not retain clay in this manner, and that clay is only 

 one of many soils. A blacksmith would naturally like to 

 have a horse's feet stopped with any appropriate filth the 

 night before shoeing him, so that he could reduce the horn 

 with the least possible trouble. Injuring a horse's feet 

 to oblige a blacksmith is a form of politeness I need not 

 discuss. 



The only legitimate kind of stopping for the feet appears 

 to be that which is intended to prevent balling of the shoes 

 from snow, for which purpose grease is generally employed. 



