REMEDYING DEFECTIVE ACTION 241 



shaped are straight, and consequently the action of 

 the foot is true to the front. Some horses — indeed, 

 many — whose conformation in this respect is defec- 

 tive, do not move their feet truly to the front. 

 They may turn in ; they may turn out — ' winding 

 and ' dishing,' as it is termed. Again, horses which 

 are what is called ' calf-kneed ' throw their feet 

 about in the most peculiar fashion, and are very 

 apt to ' box ' their ankles and to knock themselves 

 about very much. If such horses were unshod, 

 they could not hit themselves. In these cases the 

 ' Charlier ' system is very advantageous, but where 

 an ordinary shoe is used, it often becomes a very 

 difficult matter to prevent their hitting them- 

 selves. 



It may be necessary to shoe the horse so that 

 one side of the foot is lower than the other. Our 

 friend the farrier suggests that the shoe should be 

 made thicker or thinner on one side. For a short 

 time this may answer, but as soon as the shoe gets 

 worn (and such horses wear their shoes very irregu- 

 larly), the evil again occurs. A 'three-quarter' shoe, 

 as it is termed, is then tried. That answers, per- 

 haps, until the end of the shoe (being only half its 

 proper length on one side of the foot), sinking into 

 the foot, probably causes lameness. Of course there 

 is a right and a wrong way, and we have been 



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