68 EXAMINATION OF HORSES 
extent is frequently present without lameness resulting, 
Of course this can only be to a limited extent. You 
"may have it without flattened sole, but in these cases : 
you usually have a dry brittle hoof, which of itself would | 
put you on your guard. : 
Low heels, though not in themselves legal unsound- 
ness, yet are frequently associated with radical un- 
soundnesses, such as corns, bruises, and great tenderness. 
They are natural concomitants of long oblique pasterns 
and long toes. When such is the case the fetlock joint, 
or rather the sesamoid bones, and the ligaments at the : 
fetlock joint are frequently the seat either of simple en- 
largement or are actually diseased. In either case you 
would reject a horse as unsound. Shoeing smiths take ; 
special pains in these cases to lame the horse by raising 
his heels by calkins and wedge shoes. This, by making 
the tendon heels either bear pressure or get out of the 
way, tilts up the oblique pasterns, and then presently we 
find low heels, long upright pasterns, and knuckling fore 
legs. This latter most undesirable combination is all 
brought about to save the thin tender heels from their 
calkined penalty, and is an unsoundness for evident 
reasons. A horse may have low heels and yet be quite’ 
sound. We see such cases every day, but you will need 
to take care such is the case. 
Long toes, like low heels, are no unsoundness, but are 
very apt to lead to it. Smiths usually avoid great length 
of toe by shortening it when they shoe the horse, It 
often happens, however, that a horse wears his shoes: 
