THE HOOF. 225 



action of the English draught-horse, a conformation which 

 can scarcely be called the best for any purpose ; but it will 

 not do in the Clydesdale, which requires a pastern to suit 

 the formation of the shoulder, and to confer the necessary 

 elasticity to counteract the concussion caused by his quick 

 firm step. Short upright pasterns always get worse with age 

 and feeding, and the action in clue course of time becomes 

 impeded. A horse with an upright pastern has little or no 

 command of his foot, and literally walks as on a crutch ; and 

 if he has no power of his foot, he cannot have much in his 

 shoulder. The streets of Glasgow are very trying to horses 

 which have to scramble for a footing in the furrows between 

 the hard, smooth paving-stones ; and horses with upright 

 pasterns are sometimes almost powerless to move, where 

 those with pasterns moderately sloped, and of medium 

 length, can walk with comparative ease. Farmers around 

 Glasgow are alive to this, and will not readily use a stallion 

 which has this defect, however strong and shapely." I need 

 hardly say that the comparisons which Mr. Dykes draws 

 between the Clydesdale and the Shire horse in no way 

 concern us here. 



The Hoof. — The hoof serves as a horny boot in which 

 to enclose the bones and soft structures of the foot. The horn 

 of the wall, sole, and frog should be thick, hard and tough, so 

 as to resist in an efficient manner the effects of wear. Moisture 

 has a well-marked softening and weakenino- influence on the 

 horn, and it consequently affects the form of the foot. We 

 shall find that the drier the climate ; the stronger is the horn 

 of horses reared in it ; the more upright are the feet ; and the 

 more concave are the soles. I may explain that when the 



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