808 VETEKINAEY HYGIENE 



An animal that brushes from excessive work requires 

 protection to the damaged fetlock, but no alteration of the 

 shoe ; time, a reduction in work, and good feeding are all 

 that are needed. But for malformations special shoes 

 have to be devised, and the principle in all of them are 

 much the same, viz., to keep the shoe well inside the foot, 

 and to raise the inner side of it so as to throw the foot 

 outwards. In effecting this, numerous patterns have been 

 adopted, for which special reference must be made to 

 works on shoeing. 



The class of shoe suitable for a horse that hits his fet- 

 locks is suitable, with such modification as the case 

 demands, for one that ' speedy cuts '; but in all cases not 

 only should the shoes be altered, but protection to the 

 limbs worn. 



There are certain peculiarities about some feet which 

 require notice. 



Brittle feet are very common in hot climates, due to stand- 

 ing on hot ground, and the constant evaporation occurring 

 from the surface of the wall. There are some horses which 

 are constitutionally disposed to brittle feet, evidently due 

 to an abnormal reduction in the amount of water in the 

 horn. 



Feet that grow slowly are frequently associated with a 

 brittle condition : most horses grow at least half an inch of 

 horn in a month, and some very much more. The feet now 

 under consideration show little or no growth, so that the 

 wall becomes in time riddled with nail holes, and if, as 

 frequently happens, a portion of the crust comes entirely 

 away, there is nothing left to nail to. 



Both brittle and slowly growing feet are improved by the 

 walls being kept wet, and by greasy applications to the feet. 

 These, of course, do not help the growth of horn, but assist 

 to render it less brittle, and prevent evaporation from the 

 surface. 



On both brittle and slowly growing feet shoes should be 

 kept on as long as possible without being touched. If such 

 horses can go six weeks without shoeing so much the 



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