188 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
applied, and a hoof with heels of a wider pattern com- 
mences to grow down from the coronet. Two to three 
months’ rest is necessary before the animal can again be 
put to work.* "rs 
(b) Thinning the Wall in the Region of the Toe.—This is 
done with the idea that the tendency of the heels to expand 
under pressure of the body-weight is helped by the thinned 
portion at the toe allowing the heels to more readily open 
behind. Seeing that in the case of toe sand-crack the 
converse is argued—that contraction of the heels readily 
takes place and forces the sand-crack wider open — it is 
doubtful whether this method is of any utility in treating 
contracted heels. 
(c) Grooving the Wall Vertically or Horizontally, and 
Shoeing with a Bar Shoe.—Marking the wall with a series 
of grooves, each running in a more or less vertical direc- 
tion, was suggested to English veterinarians by Smith’s 
operation for side-bones. 
The manner of making the grooves, and the instruments 
necessary, will be found fully described in Section C of 
Chapter X. 
That the method is followed by satisfactory results the 
undermentioned case will show: 
‘A mare, which I have had in my possession since she 
was a foal, has always had contracted feet, which were also 
unnaturally small. ... Lately the mare has been going 
very ‘‘ short,” and at length her action was quite crippled. 
At times she was decidedly lame on the off fore-foot. At 
no time have I been able to detect any sign of structural 
disease. I thereupon concluded that the lameness was due 
to mechanical pressure on the sensitive structures, and I 
determined to try the effects of the above treatment. As 
this was my first experience of the process, I was careful to 
carry it out in all its details, as described by Professor 
Smith. After the bar shoes had been put on, the mare 
was very lame. I allowed her two days’ rest, then com- 
* This is the treatment strongly advocated by A. A. Holcombe: 
D.V.S., Inspector, Bureau of Animal Industry, U.S.A. 
