HOKSESHOEING. 593 



A hoof of the hose-wide position is alwaA's awry. The outer wall 

 ig more slanting, longer, and thicker than the inner, the outer 

 quarter more curved than the inner, and the outer half of the sole 

 wider than the inner. The weight falls largely into the inner half 

 of the hoof. In motion the hoof is moved in a circle. From its 

 position on the ground it breaks over the inner toe, is carried for- 

 vvard and inward close to the supporting leg, thence forward and 

 outward to the ground, which the hoof meets first with the outer 

 toe. Horses that are toe-wide (" splay-footed "■ — toes turned out- 

 ward) show all these peculiarities of hoof- form and hoof- flight to 

 a still more marked degree and are therefore more prone to " inter- 

 fere " when in motion. 



A hoof of the hose-narrow position is awry, but not to so marked a 

 degree as the base-wide hoof. The inner wall is usually a little more 

 slanting than the outer, the inner half of the sole wider than the 

 outer, and the inner quarter more curved than the outer. The outer 

 quarter, is often flattened and drawn in at the bottom. The weight 

 falls largely into the outer half of the hoof. In motion the hoof 

 breaks over the outer toe, is carried forward and outward at some 

 distance from the supporting leg, thence forward and inward to the 

 ground, which it generally meets with the outer toe. The foot thus 

 moves in a circle, whose convexity is outward, a manner of flight 

 called " paddling." A base-narrow horse, whose toes point straight 

 ahead, frequently "interferes," while a toe-narrow (pigeon-toed) 

 animal seldom does. 



A regular hoof (fig. 5&), viewed from one side, has a straight foot- 

 axis inclined to the horizon at an angle of 45° to 50°. The weight 

 falls near the center of the foot and there is moderate expansion of 

 the quarters. 



An acute-angled hoof (fig. 5a) has a straight foot-axis inclined at 

 an angle less than 45° to the horizon. The weight falls more largely 

 in the back half of the hoof and there is greater length of hoof in 

 contact with the ground and greater expansion of the heels than in 

 the regular hoof. 



Upright or stumpy hoof. — In the upright or stumpy hoof (fig. 5(?) 

 the foot-axis is straight and more than 55° steep. The hoof is rela- 

 tively short from toe to heel, the weight falls farther forward, and 

 there is less expansion of the heels than in the regular hoof. 



"Wide and narrow hoofs. — Finally, there are wide hoofs and nar- 

 row hoofs, dependent solely upon race and breeding. The wide hoof 

 is almost circular on the ground surface, the sole but little concave, 

 the frog large, and the quality of the horn coarse. The narrow hoof 

 has a strongly "cupped" sole, a small frog, nearly perpendicular 

 side walls, and fine-grained, tough horn. 

 36444°— 16 38 



