594 DISEASES OP THE HORSE. 



Uind hoofs are influenced in shape by different directions of their 

 pasterns much as front feet are. A hind hoof is not round at the 

 toe as a front hoof is, but is more pointed. Its greatest width is 

 two-thirds of the way back from toe to heel, the sole is more concaye, 

 the heels relatively wider, and the toe about 10° steeper than in front 

 hoofs. 



EXAMINATION PRELIMINARY TO SHOEING. 



The object of the examination is to ascertain the direction and 

 position of the limbs, the shape, character, and quality of the hoofs, 

 the form, length, position, and wear of the shoe, the number, dis- 

 tribution, and direction of the nails, the manner in which the hoof 

 leaves the ground, its line of flight, the manner in which it is set to 

 the ground, and all other peculiarities, that at the next and subse- 

 quent shoeings proper allowances may be made and observed faults 

 corrected. The animal must, therefore, be observed both at rest and 

 in motion. 



At rest, the observer should stand in front and note the slant of the 

 long pasterns. Do they drop perpendicularly, or slant downward 

 and outward (base- wide foot), or downward and inward (base-nar- 

 row foot) ? Whatever be the direction to the long pastern, an im' 

 aginary line passing through its long axis, when prolonged to the 

 ground, should apparently pass through the middle of the toe. But 

 if such line cuts through the inner toe the foot-axis is not straight, as 

 it should be, but is broken inward at the coronet, an indication that 

 either the outer wall of the hoof is too long (high) or that the inner 

 wall is too short (low) . On the contrary, if the center line of the long 

 pastern falls through the outer toe the foot-axis is broken outward at 

 the coronet, an indication that either the inner wall is too long or the 

 outer wall too short. 



The observer should now place himself at one side, two or three 

 paces distant, in order to view the limb and hoof in profile. Note the 

 size of the hoof in relation to the height and weight of the animal, 

 and the obliquity of the hoof. Is the foot-axis straight — that is, does 

 tlie long pastern have the same slant as the toe, or does the toe of the 

 hoof stand steeper than the long pastern (fig. %c) ? In which case 

 the foot-axis is broken forward at the coronet, an indication, usually, 

 that the quarters are either too high or that the toe is too short. 



If the long pastern stands steeper than the toe (fig. 6a) the foot- 

 axis is broken backward, in which case the toe is too long or the quar- 

 ters are too low (short) . In figures Ga and 6c the dotted lines passing 

 from toe to quarters indicate the amount of horn which must be 

 removed in order to straighten the foot-axis, as shown in figure 66. 

 Note also the length of the shoe. 



Next, the feet should be raised and the examiner should note the 

 outline of the foot, the conformation of the sole, form and quality 



