FAULTY CONFORMATION 145 
commences. The frog is raised from the ground, and the 
whole of the weight thrown on to the wall. The heels, 
already weak and inclined to turn in, are unable to bear 
the strain. They turn in, and contraction commences. 
This ‘turning in’ of the heels is favoured by the undue 
obliquity of the wall. At the same time, the sole being 
archless, a certain amount of elasticity is lost. The weight 
is thrown more on to the heels, and the os pedis slightly 
descends, rendering the flatness of the sole even more 
marked than before. With the loss of elasticity of the sole. 
concussion makes itself more felt. The animal is easily 
lamed, bruised sole becomes frequent, and corns sooner or 
later make their appearance. 
Treatment.—F lat-foot is incurable. All that can be done 
is to pay careful attention to the shoeing, and so prevent 
the condition from being aggravated. In trimming the 
foot the sole should not be touched; the frog, too, should 
be left alone, and the wall pared only so far as regards 
broken and jagged pieces. 
The most suitable shoe is one moderately seated. If the 
seating is excessive, and bearing allowed only on the wall, 
there is a tendency for the wall to be pushed outwards, and 
for the sole to drop still further. On the other hand, if 
the seating is insufficient, or the web of the shoe too wide, 
and too great a bearing thus given to the sole, then we get, 
first, an undue pressure upon the last-named portion of 
the foot a bruise, and, finally, lameness. The correct 
bearing should take in the whole of the wall and the whole 
of the white line, and should just impinge upon the sole. 
Above all, the heels of the shoe should be of full length, 
otherwise, if the shoe is worn just a little too long, its 
heels are carried under the sole of the foot, and by pressure 
there produce a corn. 
If, with these precautions in shoeing flat-foot, tenderness 
still persists, a sole of leather or gutta-percha must be used 
with the shoe. 
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