CONTRACTION. 



153 



mation and injury, that ultimately destroys the action and 

 vitality of the parts. I will not stop to designate the various 

 causes of contraction, more than to say that badly-fitting, 

 thick-heeled shoes, that raise the sole and frog from all possi- 

 ble pressure upon the ground, nailing so far back in the 

 heels as to prevent spreading of the foot as it grows, badly- 

 fitting shoes, and, I will add, standing in narrow stalls, on 

 dry planks, all contribute more or less directly to this cause. 

 Then, too, there is a frequent contraction only of one heel, or 

 of one more than the other. All pedestrians are careful, as 

 a primary condition of success, that the shoes fit easily and 

 perfectly to the feet. The soles are broad and long, the heels 

 low and wide, the uppers soft and easy, with no pressure 

 upon the toes. Even the stockings are selected with great 

 care. They must be free from seams or wrinkles. The foot 

 is supported as nearly natural, and kept so, as possible. This 

 is what we must aim to do in shoeing the horse's foot ; and now 

 we will come to the best way of doing this. The first step 

 towards curing contraction is to remove the cause ; secondly, 

 the use of such means as 

 will bring the quarters 

 back to their natural form 

 and condition most nat- 

 urally and easily. I will 

 first give the best pallia- 

 tive means, which does 

 not require much care 

 and skill to do. The sec- 

 ond requires a nicer de- 

 gree of skill, but will 

 enable curing easily the 

 worst cases of contraction 

 of either or both heels. 

 The same principle will 

 enable curing with ease 

 and certainty any case 

 of quarter-crack. First, 

 poultice the foot thor- 

 oughly, until soft, and will 

 cut easily ; next cut down the foot until ajl excessive growth 

 is removed. If the sole is thick with old horn, cut it away 



(No. 24.) 



A convex shoe. The bearing surface is 

 from a sixteenth to an eighth of an 

 inch lower at the outer edge of the 

 bearing surface where the outside of 

 the heel rests. Should be fitted care- 

 fully. 



