ACCIDENTS TO THE LEGS AND FEET. 415 



ing narrow, and having no nail holes beyond the two near the toe, 

 so that there is no danger of the web projecting; nor is there any 

 nail hole required, with the fear of a clench rising, or of the crust 

 being weakened so as to prevent its being thinned to a proper de- 

 gree. By thus raising the heels (in the hind foot especially), the 

 fetlock is less bent, and as in horses that cut there is almost always 

 a tendency in their fetlock joints to bend inwards as well as back- 

 wards, this diminution of the angle will not only straighten the leg 

 in a forward direction, but will also increase the distance between 

 the joints, which is the object to be desired. In the fore foot the 

 obliquity in this direction is not so frequent, and then the high 

 heel will be of no use j indeed, it is only when the toes are much 

 turned out that this plan of shoeing the fore foot is ever successful. 

 When cutting occurs before, unless there is this turn out, it is bet- 

 ter to put the shoes on in a perfectly level manner, and trust to the 

 reduction of the thickness of the quarter, and the absence of the 

 third nail. If, with these precautions, the horse, when in good 

 condition, still strikes his fore legs, it will be better to put up with 

 the constant use of a boot. Generally, however, if the inflammation 

 is first subdued, and the foot is shod in a perfectly true and level 

 manner, taking care to rasp away the particular part which strikes 

 the other leg, it will be found that the cutting is avoided. 



SPEEDY CUTTING is more dangerous than ordinary cutting, be- 

 cause the pain given by the blow is generally more severe, and is 

 often so great that the horse falls as if he were shot. On exam- 

 ining the leg of a confirmed speedy cutter there is always appa- 

 rent a small scab or bruise on the 'inside of the cannon bone, im- 

 mediately below the knee ; but in slight cases rest may have been 

 used to allow the skin to heal, and then no mark may possibly be 

 left. A careful examination will, however, generally detect a small 

 bare place, partially concealed by the growth of the adjacent hair. 

 In bad cases the periosteum is swollen, and there is a considerable 

 enlargement of the surface of the bone. In the management of 

 slight cases of this kind of cutting, the action should be examined 

 while the hoof is covered with chalk, and the latter should be 

 treated in the same way as already described. If, however, this fails, 

 as it generally does in this form of cutting, there is no remedy but 

 to put on a regular speedy-cut boot, in which there is a pad buckled 

 on the inside of the leg, and reaching from the knee to the fetlock. 

 It must be of this length, because otherwise it cannot be kept in 

 its place, as the leg allows it to slip down until it reaches the 

 larger circumference presented by the joint. Where there is pain 

 and swelling caused by the contusion, it must be treated in the 

 ordinary way, by the application of cold water and tincture of 

 arnica, a wine-glassful of the latter in two quarts of water. 



PRICKS IN SHOEING occur from the want of skill in the smith 



