154 CONVEX SHOE FOR CURING CONTRACTION. 



with a sharp English shave that is ground sharp on both 

 sides ; cut down carefully between the bar and frog, espe- 

 cially well back towards the point of the heel ; do not cut 

 deep enough to bring blood, yet enough to let the quarter 

 spread or give easily when pressed upon. 



CONVEX SHOE FOB CUBING CONTBACTION. 



Next have fitted a thin-heeled, convex shoe. (See cut.) 

 Fit it carefully, so that the quarters rest nicely on the 

 convex surface, without touching the sole anywhere. The 

 point is here not to cut the wall down too near the surface 

 of the sole. The inner edge of the shoe settles into the horn, 

 and forms a shoulder that prevents the quarter giving to the 

 pressure of the body, as this will do when improperly 

 fitted. Keep the feet stuffed with flaxseed-meal poul- 

 tice, and tie a wet cloth around the coronet when in the 

 stable. Put the horse to work, keep on such shoes, carefully 

 fitted, and the feet kept soft : the horse will improve very 

 rapidly, and all ordinary cases of contraction will be easily 

 cured. This is, however, but palliative, compared with the 

 following treatment, which enables the easy and certain cure 

 of all cases of contraction, and quarter-crack, or splitting 

 of the quarters. 



A SHOE THAT WILL ENABLE THE OPENING OF THE 

 QUABTEBS AS DESIRED. 



Soften the foot, either by tying two or three thicknesses of 

 blanket around the feet, and keeping them wet with cold 

 water for twenty-four hours ; or fill two little bags with bran, 

 put each foot into a bag, tie a string loosely around the top 

 and leg. Dip each foot in a bucket of water for a few min- 

 utes, and afterwards pour on water to keep wet, or stand the 

 horse with the feet in a tub of moderately warm water until 

 soft. Now cut down the feet to their natural shape. There 

 is usually a large accumulation of horn at the heel : however 

 small the foot may seem, cut away all the old superfluous horn, 

 then cut down between the bars and frog as before described, 

 until the quarters will give easily to pressure. Now accu- 

 rately fit a shoe of a simple flat kind to the hoof. It must 

 come out even and flush all the way round, and at the heels 

 be a little wider and longer than the foot. Lay on the shoe 



