SMALL FEET. 193 



show US it is a natural one. But the wide foot and 

 narrow heel is none of tlie handicraft of nature. 

 There is an indescribable look in a contracted hoof, 

 that an experienced eye detects at once ; there is 

 in it, if I may so express myself, a total absence 

 of that shape and freshness we see in the foot of 

 the sound colt. I have seen feet contracted so 

 uniformly, and generally, as to be particularly 

 handsome in appearance. The texture of the hoof 

 of such feet is often seen to be singularly fine in 

 the grain, and looking almost as though it had been 

 polished. Such are a very bad sort indeed. For- 

 tunately, a horse having such is generally too lame 

 to deceive the generality of purchasers. A foot 

 may be far narrower than such, yet quite sound. 



We will now look to a much more unsiglitly 

 natural malformation, which is unusually large 

 feet. I should almost be tempted to say to my 

 reader, reject such a horse, not on account of un- 

 soundness, for it is only in very few cases where 

 feet get enlarged from any disease; but personally 

 I would refuse him, because I rarely, indeed 

 never, rode a thoroughly pleasant, light, active 

 goer with very large feet ; and as to soundness, I 

 am quite certain the naturally large foot is as 

 likely to become lame as the naturally small one ; 

 indeed, I w^ould say more so at fast road work. 

 Large feet require large shoes. Large shoes must 

 have a considerable weight of iron, and this re- 

 o 



