THE FEET. 27 



c e, the frog ; r>, the cleft ; E, the toe ; four F'S, the 

 sole ; six G'S, all round, the crust ; B, a line drawn 

 across the centre, showing the outside bottom of the 

 hoof, is more circular than the inside. If the hinder 

 part of the quarters is not the broadest part, then the 

 foot was either never perfectly formed, or has become 

 contracted from want of paring,""" bad shoeing, or 

 disease. If the hinder part of the quarters should 

 be as broad as the forepart of the foot ; the frog a 

 good width ; the bottom of the foot properly concave ; 

 and the hoof in front, from the coronet down to the 

 toe, rather upright, this will be the next most desira- 

 ble form to choose, for you need not expect to get a 

 perfect foot. If the frog should be small, and the 

 heels much wired or pinched in, you must judge 

 from the firmness with which he brings his heels to 

 the ground whether the wiring-in has made him at 

 all tender : if you think it has, or if you are in doubt, 

 reject him ; for this wiring-in proceeding so far as to 

 cause tenderness, which quickly runs on to lameness, 

 is the true chronic founder ; and though, by six or 

 eight months' laying up, the heels may probably be 

 opened again, the tenderness will still remain. 



Should the foot be small at the coronet, gradually 

 enlarging downwards like a sugar loaf, it denotes a 

 weak foot : this kind of foot does not look so bad 

 when lifted up, showing often a fine large frog ; but 

 the sole is a little too- flat, and the heel a little too 

 low ; the horn often too brittle, continually chipping 

 away at the nail holes, t and the crust being thin, it 

 is easily pricked in shoeing. The foot at the coronet. 



* Paring. ED. 

 t It is also subject to sand-crack. ED. 



