114 OF THE DISEASES 



and the necessary support is not given. On account 

 of the habit of many horses of reining back in 

 their stalls, it is advisable to make the beds very 

 long. 



Calkins. 91- Calkins, though sometimes necessary, are in 



all cases more or less of an evil. They are not really 

 required for either ordinary riding or driving. 



They are an evil, because, in spite of the 

 thickening of the other heel, they interfere with 

 the natural and level bearing of the foot on the 

 ground ; because they deprive the hinder portion 

 of the foot of its fair share of work and motion ; 

 because they unduly raise the hind-quarter, and 

 thereby tend to increase the tendency to sprain, so 

 common in the hock ; because they are a frequent 

 cause of treads ; and because they make both 

 treads and kicks, when they occur, more severe 

 than they would otherwise be. 



Calkins cannot be so necessary as is generally 

 supposed, because, although they are generally 

 worn down long before the horse is re-shod, the 

 public seldom or ever complain that their horses 

 go worse towards the end than at the beginning of 

 a set of shoes. 



When a calkin is used on one heel onlv, the 

 other heel should be proportionally thickened, so 

 as to give the foot as level a bearing as possible on 

 the ground. 



