pressure when the foot comes in contact with the ground. 

 Frog pressure assists expansion and prevents contraction; 

 a short natural foot with a slight frog pressure during the 

 first and second year is one of the surest ways to prevent 

 a bad gait or a ruptured tendon, in later years. Young foals 

 should have their feet picked out two or three times a week 

 to ventilate around the frog, because the filth that usually 

 gets lodged around there will be almost sure to cause heat, 

 and in consequence a diseased frog, which perishes away 

 and allows the heels to contract. A contracted foot is a 

 very bad thing and causes trouble in more ways than one. 

 If the feet on foals are left to grow too long, the inside 

 heels will cave in or become contracted from the position 

 they rest on them while grazing. To prevent this keep them 

 cut down, if not you will have to use hoof expanders to 

 get the foot back to its natural position. 



One of the most important factors in keeping the feet 

 on sucklings, weanlings and yearlings in proper condition 

 as is specified in this article is to see that you are keeping 

 the leg in the middle of the foot, otherwise many a good 

 horse suffers, as the concussion and strain is not equally 

 distributed on both sides of the foot when in action. If the 

 feet on sucklings, weanlings, yearlings and two-year-olds 

 are kept properly fixed, quarters and heels kept low enough 

 so as to receive a slight frog pressure, this means at the 

 proper angle, you will not have any elbow hitters and very 

 few knee knockers. If you have a yearling that hits his 

 knees you have not kept his legs in the middle of his feet 

 by keeping his heels and quarters rasped down, which will 

 make it easier to prevent winging into his knees than if he 

 had a contracted inside quarter, which is the case when 

 neglected. 



