48 THE HOOF CONTROVERSY SETTLED. [BOOK I. 



upright small pastern, such as would suit the largest 

 outline (fig. 5) ; of course, this elevation, or a greater, 

 would be a mis-shapen hoof as well as pastern. In 

 like manner, we know that the low pommice-foot 

 is out of point and diseased, and it follows that 

 the best possible elevation of the hoof must neces- 

 sarily lie in the medium of those extremes, which 

 we know to be diseases in themselves : this it is to 

 determine a contest mechanically, without once 

 adverting to the well-known circumstance of the 

 health and free use of its heels, which attends the 

 horse whose hoof is, at any time of life, near 45 

 degrees of elevation or depression. Did we require 

 more arguments to prove this to be the proper 

 elevation, a conclusive one could be found in the 

 well-known circumstance of those hoofs of horses 

 which are very upright in early life becoming the 

 lowest when the animals get old ; whilst those 

 hoofs which come near the standard of excellence 

 in youth (45 degrees), retain the same form, as 

 nearly as the injuries of shoeing admit of, to an 

 extreme old age*. 



* Contrary statements have been made by writers deserving our 

 respect, as to ugly hoofs remaining free from disease ; but then, these 

 were strong hoofs, though distorted, and the owners had sense enough 

 to keep their horses in general bodily good health, so that the evils 

 of distortion were not further aggravated by the disorders of the 

 system — as we have shewn happens in all such derangements. Much 

 cause for curious reflection might be found in the agreement of the 

 proper elevation, with the annexed conic section of a semidiameter, 

 to which we have extended our diagram, fig. 5. 



