722 



SHOEING. 



goes at his ease and is not promptly fatigued, if the frog does not 

 touch the ground. As it is the only point of support, if you raise it 

 from the ground by paring it, there arises an inordinate extension 

 of the tendon, caused by the pushing of the coronary against the 

 navicular bone, as has been mentioned above, and which, being 

 repeated at every step the animal takes, fatigues it arid induces in- 

 flammation. From thence often arises distentions of the sheaths of 



tendons (moletts-vulgo, 'windgulls") en- 

 gorgements, and swelling of tendons, 

 etc., that are observed after long or rapid 

 journeys. These accidents arise less 

 from the length of the journey, as has 

 been currently believed, than from the 

 false practice of paring the sole. . . . 

 We always find ourselves more active 

 and nimble when we wear easy shoes ; 

 but a wide, long, and thick shoe will do 

 for horses what clogs do for us. render 

 them heavy, clumsy, and unsteady. . . . 

 " That feet become convex by hollow- 

 ing the shoes to relieve the heel and frog, 

 because the more the shoes are arched 

 from the sole, the more the wall of the 

 hoof is squeezed arid rolled inward, par- 

 ticularly toward the inner quarter, 

 which is the weakest, the sole of the 

 foot becomes convex and the horse is 

 nearly always unfit for service. . . . 



" The reason why it is dangerous to pare the feet of horses is, 

 that whjen the sole is pared, and the horse stands in a dry place, 

 the horn becomes desiccated by the air which enters it, and removes 

 its moisture and its suppleness, and often causes the animal to be 

 lame. ... . 



" It is the pared foot that is more affected with what is termed 

 contracted or weak inside quarter, and which also lames the horse. 

 " It also happens that one or both quarters contract, and some- 

 times even the whole hoof, when, in consequence of its smallness, all 

 the internal parts are confined in their movements ; this is due to 

 paring, and lames the horse, 



" There also occurs another accident : "When the quarter 

 becomes contracted, the hoof splits in its lateral aspects, and the 

 horse is lame. This accident is termed a sand-crack (seime)." 

 Lafosse. 



Though not generally known, this system of shoeing has long 

 been in use in India. Freeman, in his work published in 1796, 

 who is yet considered good authority, strongly advocated this 

 system of shoeing. He gives the following statement which ex- 

 plains itself : 



FIG. 565. Shoe devised by La- 

 fosse for use on dry and slip- 

 pery roads. A thin slip of 



iron let into the wall, and 

 fastened with ten small nails. 



