HORSESHOEING. 593 
A hoof of the base-wide position is always 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- 
ward 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 base-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. 5b), 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. 5c) 
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——88 
