116 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
to such an extent as to grow over the sole and the bars. 
By the pressure they exert on the sole corns result, and the 
animal is lamed. 
Causes.—In the main this defect is hereditary. It is 
seen commonly in connection with flat-foot, and where the 
horn of the wall is thin and shelly. 
Treatment.—In the case of weak or ‘turned in’ heels 
no suitable bearing is offered for the shoe in the posterior 
half of the foot. Any attempt to induce the heels to bear 
weight is immediately followed by their bending in. It 
follows from this that the best shoe to be used here is 
one in which the bearing is confined to the anterior half of 
the wall, the heels being relieved by being sufficiently 
pared. As might be expected, this bearing on the anterior 
half only of the foot is insufficient ; pressure must be given 
the frog. This latter end is best gained by a bar shoe (Fig. 68). 
With it the anterior portions of the wall, the whole of the 
bars, and the whole of the frog may be in contact, and the 
heels only so pared as to take no bearing at all. A few 
such shoeings sees the defect remedied. In every instance 
paring of the sole should be discouraged, as it serves but to 
increase the deformity. 
B. CONTRACTED FOOT. 
(a) GEneRaL ConTRAcTION—ConrTRacTED HEsEzs. 
Definition. — By the term contracted foot, otherwise 
known as hoof-bound, is indicated a condition in which 
the foot, more especially the posterior half of it, is, or 
becomes, narrower from side to side than is normal. 
It must be borne in mind, however, that certain breeds 
of horses have normally a foot which nearer approaches 
the oval than the circular in form, and that a narrow foot 
is not necessarily a contracted foot. 
The contraction may be bilateral when affecting both 
heels of the same foot and extending to the quarters, or 
unilateral when the inside or outside heel only is affected. 
In some cases contraction is confined to one foot, while 
