CHAPTER II. 



The Form and Action of the Foot. 



The foot of a horse consists of a variety of living 

 structures, differing in form and texture, and enclosed in 

 a horny covering called the hoof. Although the farrier's 

 work is applied only to the hoof, it is necessary that ho 

 should know something of the whole foot, because it is 

 but too easy to injure the structures within by altera- 

 tions of the horny covering without. 



The simplest way to understand the foot is to study 

 separately the different parts, and to apT3ly that know- 

 ledge in obtaining a general idea of the relations of all 

 the parts to each other. There is not, then, much diffi- 

 culty in appreciating the functions of each part, and the 

 uses and action of the whole organ.. 



The Iloof. 



Everyone is familiar with the general appearance of 

 the hoof. It is not a regular geometrical figure. Each 

 of the four feet of the horse shows some peculiarity in 

 form, by which a farrier can at once identify a fore from 

 a hind or a left from a right. 



The fore feet should be similar in size and shape. 

 Disease may be suspected when any marked difference 

 exists. But a healthy hoof which has been broken, or 

 much rasped, does not retain its proper form, and may 

 thus confuse a novice. 



The hind feet should be proportionate in size to the 

 fore, and then it is not of much practictil consequence 

 whether the whole are large or small. 



The front feet are rounder and less pointed at the toe 

 than the hind; they are also more sloping in front. The 

 two fore feet and the two hind should be in pairs. The 

 right and left feet are distinguished from each other by 

 the inner side being more upright, or, if examined on the 

 under surface, by the outer border being more prominent^ 



