92 THE FOOT. 



heels without protection. The shoe to be countersunk into the 

 hoofs until on a level with the heels, never paring the frog, 

 heels or sole, and only putting in four nails, two on a side. 

 Now your colt can work and travel again, the frog taking 

 hold of the ground and preventing slipping. If he is re- 

 quired to do heavy pulling on rough, hard, frozen and icy 

 roads, we know of no better appliance than the customary 

 shoe with short, sharp toes and calks. 



As soon as the necessity for the shoes is passed return to 

 the tips or no shoes at all. The horse accustomed to shoes 

 may have them removed when frost is gone. If hard and 

 brittle stand the hoofs in water two hours at a time and 

 poultice with cake meal at night. If the hoofs become too 

 short have on tips and exercise or work not too hard until 

 the hoofs regain their natural condition, when he will stand 

 the work, unless it be much upon the turnpike or he is flat- 

 footed, when v/e must use the old-style shoe until invention 

 brings something better. Use care and judgment in restor- 

 ing the feet to their natural condition, and you will be sur- 

 prised to find that many horses can do good service the year 

 around without shoes. 



Lift up the horse's foot and see if the rim of the shoe is 

 inside of the shell of the hoof, and if it is start a boy with 

 that horse to the shoesmith, or take the chances of corns on 

 your horse. 



An overgrowth of hoof and a consequent hardening of 

 the foot are fruitful sources of lameness. The elasticity of 

 the hoof is in itself a factor preventing lameness, dividing 

 up, as it does, the effects of concussion between the hoof 

 and the 500 sensitive laminae that connect it to the foot 

 within the hoof-box. 



Keep the feet pliable by soaking them occasionally during 

 the drouth of summer. A horse whose feet are too dry will 



