AND MALFORMATIONS OF THE FEET. 79 



from which the contraction arises. In those cases 

 which result from disease, our aim must be to 

 remove the causes which induce the horse to favour 

 the part affected. When that cause, whatever it 

 may be, is removed, time and use will do something 

 to restore the parts, but in many cases the contrac- 

 tion will be permanent. 



In those cases which are due to bad shoeing, 

 unless they are of very long standing, we may hope 

 for a marked improvement, when a better system 

 of shoeing is adopted. Various plans, such as 

 expanding shoes, have been at times put forward 

 for the prevention or cure of contraction. They 

 all, however, aim at treating the symptoms rather 

 than the disease itself, and are therefore scarcely 

 worth much consideration. 



It is very commonly believed that contraction in 

 the feet, apart from disease, is the almost necessary 

 effect of shoeing, that is, of binding the foot round 

 with an iron band. The author believes that where 

 a rational system of shoeing is adopted, where the 

 crust is not rasped, where the bars and frog are not 

 cut away, where the heels are not opened, where 

 only two nails are used on the inside, and where a 

 natural amount of wear and work is by shortening 

 the toes allowed to fall on the heels, that the foot 

 of the old horse will be found to be as sound and 

 healthy and as free from contraction as that of 

 the colt. 



