164 WEAK HEELS. 



them to be low and sensitive. Such feet should be simply 

 levelled down with the rasp carefully, and the shoe fitted 

 to touch every part of the bearing surface at the heels. 



In some cases where there is but little horn at the heel 

 to support the foot, the whole bottom of the foot 

 seems to be flat and weak. This class of foot is usually 

 so weak, and grows horn so slowly, that it is the cause of 

 great annoyance. Two points are to be accomplished : 

 First, growing all the horn we can, the want of which is 

 the real cause of difficulty. Second, supporting the foot 

 to prevent bruising or injury. It is clear, if the horn is 

 not thick or strong enough, we must support it all we can ; 

 and, if there is not sufficient growth of horn, we must 

 stimulate the growth of hoof all it is possible to do, but 

 we must get a tough, healthy condition of hoof to do any 

 lasting good. The real cause of the weakness is usually 

 owing to the horse being over-heated a little, leaving a 

 weak condition of the circulation. The hoof grows thin 

 and brittle, and the horn gives out as soon as subjected 

 to the strain of hard work or badly fitting shoes. Have 

 made a nicely fitting, rather thin, flat bar-shoe, the bar 

 all the way round wide ; the part across under the frog 

 to extend well forward so as to give a full, even support to 

 the frog, almost covering it. (If the heels are spreading, 

 which some weak feet of this kind do, nail well back 

 in the quarter, or turn up little clips at each quarter to 

 press gradually, but firmly, upon them.) The shoe should 

 be fitted very carefully ; yet no horn is to be cut away 

 more than to level the wall. Next fit a piece of thin, hard 

 leather, and put between the shoe and foot, and nail the 

 shoe on carefully. If the whole bottom of the foot could 

 be supported perfectly with rubber, it would be just the 

 thing ; but I never saw any thing of the kind, that, in a 

 practical sense, could be depended upon. In the first 

 place, nailing the shoe on tight enough to hold destroys 

 its elasticity; second, it wears out too quickly. A cast 

 should be taken of the bottom of the foot, so that it 

 would be a perfect support ; then a flat shoe nailed care- 

 fully over it, or have made an ordinary shoe with good 

 wide bar, but not over thick; have next fitted to the 

 inside, resting upon the inner edges of the shoe at the 



