DISEASES OF ANIMALS 



165 



absolutely sterile in a large percentage 

 of cases. Overfat mares, cows or ewes 

 are impregnated with difficulty. Hens, 

 turkeys, ducks and geese lay relatively 

 infertile eggs if they are not allowed 

 to have a reasonable amount of exercise. 

 Most cases of sterility may be cured or 

 prevented by giving proper attention to 

 the diet of the breeding animals and the 

 sanitary condition of their surroundings. 

 The use of artificial inpregnation (See 

 that subject) will often give success in 

 apparently hopeless cases. 



HORSE SHOEING 



The use of iron shoes for horses' hoofs 

 may be considered as a necessary evil of 

 our modern civilization. It is impossi- 

 ble to drive horses continually over the 

 hard pavements of cities without seri- 

 ously injuring the hoofs unless some 



Fisr. 



115 THREE-QUARTER SHOE WITH 



RUBBER PAD 



form of shoe is adopted. Horses which 

 are kept on the farm or driven short dis- 

 tances along country roads do not re- 

 quire shoeing, except occasionally, and 

 then often only on the front feet. The 

 art of horse shoeing may be learned by 

 the ordinary farmer so that he can keep 

 his horses' feet in good condition, but 

 if the farmer does not care to bother 

 with this operation, it is at least desirable 

 that he give enough attention to the 

 matter to know when the job is prop- 

 erly done by the blacksmith. Too much 

 cannot be said in condemnation of the 

 practice of indiscriminate paring away 

 of the hoof in order to make it fit the 



shoe. The hoof may in certain cases 

 grow irregularly and require some par- 

 ing, but none is needed if the growth is 

 uniform and no tendency to cracking 

 is observed. The normal hoof of the 

 horse is well designed to protect the 



REGULAB HOOF 



more delicate parts which it covers and 

 to furnish an elastic cushion to relieve 

 the jar upon, the joints of the legs. 

 When too much of the hoof is pared 

 away, the elasticity is lost, and tbe sole 

 becomes too sensitive so that some form 

 of lameness may develop. Lameness 



Fig. 117 — FULLERED SHOE 



