1 80 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETERINARY AR 



ti. 



principal use or the frog is to serve as a cushion 

 and point of support to the back sinew. When 

 we consider, however, the structure and rela- 

 tive situation of tliese parts, this opinion does 

 not appear to be very probable. From what , 

 has been said of the frog, the reader may 

 judge of its importance, and how necessary itr- ^ 

 is to attend to its preservation : but such is 

 the mutilating practice of farriers, so deter- 

 mined do they seem on all occasions to act in 

 opposition to Nature, that this essential part 

 is generally ihe first that is destroyed or ren- 

 dered useless. 



llie bars form two ridges, one on each side 

 tlie froo\ extendino; from the heel of the crust 

 toward the toe of the frog : they appear to be 

 a continuation of the crust, being, like it, com* 

 posed of strong longitudinal fibres. At the part 

 where it joins the crust, a very firm bearing is 

 afforded for the heel of the shoe. (See Fig. 2, 

 Plate 1 .) The use of the bars is, to oppose any 

 disposition there may be in the hoof to con- 

 tract, by acting as preps to the heels : but 

 in the common practice of shoeing they are 

 generally destroyed; for farriers have sup- 

 posed that they bind the heels together, and 

 jprevent their expansion : they therefore name 



