335J WEAKNESS OF THE FOOT. 



the smooth, even appearance of the good foot. The surface is 

 sometimes irregularly roughened, hut it is much oftener rough- 

 ened in circles or rings. The form of the crust likewise presents 

 too much the appearance of a cone ; the bottom of the foot is 

 unnaturally wide in proportion to the coronet ; and the whole of 

 the foot is generally, but not always larger than it should be. 



When the foot is lifted, it will often present a round and cir- 

 ular appearance, with a fuUness of frog, and would mislead the 

 inexperienced, and indeed be considered as almost the perfection 

 of structure ; but, being examined more closely, many glaring 

 defects will be seen. The sole is flat, and the smith finds that 

 it will bear little or no paring. The bars are small in size. They 

 are not cut away by the smith, but they can be scarcely said to 

 have any existence. The heels are low, so low that the very 

 coronet seems almost to touch the ground ; and the crust, if ex- 

 amined, appears scarcely thick enough to hold the nails. 



Horses with these feet can never stand much work. They 

 will be subject to corns, to bruises of the sole, to convexity of the 

 sole, to punctures in nailing, to breaking away of the crust, to 

 inflammation of the foot, and to sprain and injury of the pastern, 

 and the fetlock, and the flexor tendon. 



These feet admit of little improvement. Shoeing as seldom 

 as may be, and with a light yet wide concave web ; little or no 

 paring at the time of shoeing, and as little violent ■work as pos- 

 sible, and especi.iUy on rough roads, may protract for a long 

 period the evU day, but he who buys a horse with these feet will 

 sooner or later have cause to repent his bargain 



