HORSESHOEING. 



47 



hoofs. The outer wall is, as a rule, somewhat more slant- 

 ing than the inner. Viewing a foot in profile, the toe and heel 

 should be parallel ; that is, the line from the hair to the ground 

 at the toe should be parallel to the line from the hair to the 

 ground at the but- 

 tress. All deviations Fig. 28. 

 of the wall from a 

 straight Kne (outward 

 or inward bendings) 

 are to be regarded as 

 faults or defects. 



The thickness of the 

 wall is also variable. 

 In front hoofs the 

 wall is thickest at 

 the toe, and becomes 

 gradually thinner to- 

 wards the quarters, 

 while in hind hoofs 



there is very little difference in the thickness of the wall of the 

 toe, sides, and quarters. The more slanting half of the hoof is 

 always the thicker ; thus, for example, the outer wall of a base- 

 wide foot is always longer and more oblique than the inner wall, 

 and is also thicker. According to Mayer,* the thickness of the 

 wall at the toe varies from three- to five-eighths of an inch, and 

 at the quarters from one- to two-fifths of an inch. These meas- 

 urements are dependent upon the size and breeding of the horse. 



The horn wall is composed of three superposed layers. These 

 from without to within are : (1) the periople, secreted by the 

 perioplic band. It is very thin, glistening, and varnish-like in 

 appearance, and covers the entire outer surface of the wall, ex- 

 cept where it has been removed by the rasp, and prevents rapid 

 evaporation of moisture from the horn. (2) The middle or pro- 



Vertlcal section through the middle of a hoof, with homy 

 frog removed, to show the position of the bar : a, b, marks 

 the luie at which the wall bends forward and inward to- 

 wards the median line of the fool to become the bar. Bar 

 runs forward and passes imperceptibly into the sole c; a, a', 

 the light shading shows the part of the bar that was in con- 

 tact with the horny &og. 



* Hufschmied, vol. iv. p. 50. 



