ANATOMY OF THE FOOT. 171 



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be of importancs to every man who values his 

 horse, to acquu*e such a knowledge of this 

 subject as may enable him to preserve so use- 

 ful an animal from a multitude of diseases. 



The bad eftects which arise from the com- 

 mon practice of shoeing are so gradual, that 

 we can easily account for their having been 

 <j:cnerallv overlooked : the Gfradations between 

 soundness and absolute lameness are so nu- 

 merous, that it has been found rather difficult 

 to trace the disease back to its source ; " and 

 tliis cannot.be done readily without having 

 some knowledire of the structure of the foot, 

 and the particular uses of the various parts 

 \^ hich compose it. It is necessary also to be 

 well acquainted with the natural form of the 

 foot, in order to determine how far it has been 

 altered or destroyed by any piaii of shoeing. 

 For example, take a horse that has a sound 

 well-formed foot, let it be improperly pared, 

 and let bad shoes be applied ; in all probability 

 lameness will not be the immediate conse- 

 quence. By a repetition, however, of this prac- 

 tice, it will be found that the original shape of 

 the foot is gradually altered, and eventually it 

 will be 'so far deformed as to produce perhaps 

 incurable lameness ; therefore we ought not ta 



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