GOOD CARE 



75 



WHO'S YOUR Don't trust too fully that every blacksmith knows all 



HORSESHOER? he should or can give all necessary attention to your 



horse's hoofs. Watch the feet yourself, and keep them 



healthy and clean. Hoofs on the hind feet grow faster than those on the 

 front feet. On the average the hoof grows at the rate of y$ in. per month. 

 If not kept trimmed for even contact with the ground the result is a split 

 toe or other crack in the hoof substance. Keep them trimmed and save 

 all this trouble later. 



a Foot axis broken backward, from toe 



too long. 



b Well balanced foot. 

 c Foot axis broken forward, from over- 



growth of the quarters. 



c Stumpy foot, short hoof, less expansion Dotted lines through the hoof show how to 

 of the heel. correct the axis by cutting. 



a Angle is too acute, gives greater length 

 of hoof in contact with the ground; 

 greater expansion of the heel. 



b Regular hoof, foot axis straight, angle 

 45 degrees. 



Occasionally it is necessary to use the rasp to correct faulty develop- 

 ment, but care must be taken not to abuse it, as blacksmiths sometimes do. 

 Frogs, heels and bars should not be mutilated with the knife. Shoes should 

 be set once a month to prevent the feet from becoming too long, and the 

 horse should have plenty of exercise to maintain the foot's healthy condi- 

 tion. Washing thoroughly every few days and applying a quick dressing of 

 Conkey's Hoof Remedy will, under most conditions, keep the horse's feet in 

 perfect order. 



PATRONIZE A Neglect of the feet is always expensive. Learn how 



GOOD SHOER to take care of them properly, especially during the 



laying-up period. Or better still, select a horseshoer 



who knows his business, and spend about fifty cents a month for trimming' 

 and examining the feet of your unused horse. It will save the horse, the 

 shoer and certainly the owner much future trouble; and for the owner 

 trouble means more money expended. Thrush, seedy toe, crack, etc., are 

 some of the diseases that follow overgrowth and stable neglect of a horse's 

 foot. 



WHO CURRIES 

 YOUR HORSE? 



The care of the horse's body, his daily grooming, 

 can be given in two ways a right way and a wrong 

 way. Proper grooming is exceedingly important 

 to the health as well as appearance of the horse. It does more than clean 

 the coat from any surface dirt; it opens the pores so that the body poisons 

 can be more readily thrown off through these important channels; invigor- 

 ates circulation so that every organ is stimulated to activity, and relaxes 

 muscles and nerves and soothes by the stroking. 



A horse should always be groomed after hard exercising. Some 

 owners take pleasure in doing this themselves, and doing it well; others 

 call in the first farm hand "handy" and don't always wait to see if the 

 work is well done. Besides, there are some important things about groom- 

 ing which horseowners themselves do not always seem to know. 



THE CURRY-COMB One of these is the use of the curry-comb. This 



instrument of torture should be used sparingly 

 on the body of a horse, never on the legs. Its best use is to clean the brush. 



