106 THE horse's refcue. 



see it flatten after you have spread a little, yoa must 

 stop and walk the horse aronud or run with him. 

 Spread in pairs so as to drive the sole down. Look 

 and see how much it has come down. Soak in warm 

 water, spread again ; continue to move him around 

 until the sole is down flat. Some horses are so bad 

 their feet are pushed clear out of the cup at the top 

 and pinched in at the bottom. If great care is not 

 taken in preparing the fooc for this operation, the foot 

 will get pinched at the top of the wall, the bone not 

 having room to go down between the cup at the top. 

 It would not kill the horse, but it would cause him 

 suffering for a few hours, then it would matterate and 

 cause a flaw in the hoof. It should be spread enough 

 to give it room to go down before he is driven much. 

 These are cases of long standing, as a general rule, but 

 there are many exceptions to that. If you do not 

 cut the heels well down you will be likely to get him 

 pinched, for this reason : it would spring the foot out 

 at the bottom, which would throw it together at the 

 top. You must see it go together both top and 

 bottom. 



Let us look at Mike after spreading his hind feet, 

 and see where he has gone to, caused by spreading the 

 foot half an inch His body has all gone forward on 

 the base ; his back iias lowered across his loin ; his 

 forward parts are i-elieved of their constant strain. He 

 is "ftnited again ; that is, the cause is removed. Some 

 hard work will have to be done yet to make him com- 

 fortable. The air-pufls have all gone around on the 

 front side of his legs. It hurts him. He stands up 

 on his toes. He won't }-)ut liis heels down to a flat 



