SHOEING. 



685 



elasticity by their undue confinement. But this is not a valid 

 objection; because in the direction it is desired to give them free- 

 dom outward, it only facilitates it, while at the same time it gives 

 a certainty and positive- 

 ness of relief that cannot 

 well be secured in any 

 other way. 



Curling Under of the 

 Heel. This has heretofore 

 been an extremely difficult 

 form of contraction to over- 

 come, but by the treatment 

 given is not at all difficult 

 to manage, because it gives 

 the power to force the 

 quarters back hi place to 

 any degree desired. It 

 simply requires a little 

 more care in making the 

 adjustment. As this form 

 of contraction is mostly 

 common to heavy team 



horses in large cities (though not uncommon now among road- 

 sters), and directly the cause of ruining a large number of the 

 finest horses, I will include some additional explanations on its 

 treatment. Usually the foot is broad and healthy-looking, till at 

 the back of the turn of the wall, from which point the heels are 

 turned under, and drawn to almost a sharp point, entirely closing 

 the commissuers. The wall is thin and weak, growing very 

 slowly, with frog extremely small and hard. This form of con- 

 traction is mostly caused by wearing thick shoes with the bearing 

 surface so formed that the heels rest upon sharply concave sur- 

 faces, which tends to crowd or force them together; also by ex- 

 cessive paring and want of moisture. 



The writer visited several shops to note the details of shoeing 

 such horses, and with a view of getting exact illustrations of the 

 average of such shoes. The frog, sole, and bars were cut down 

 excessively the sole so that it would bend to the pressure of the 

 thumb, and the bearing surface of the heels so scooped out, that 



FIG. 514. Draught or express shoe. Model 

 from Dr. HamilTs collection. 



