CAEE AND MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 809 



better, for it means less interference with the feet. In 

 order to make the shoes for such cases last a long time, 

 they may be of steel, or steeled at the wearing points. The 

 principle involved is that it is better to shoe a horse with 

 slowly growing or brittle feet six times a year rather than 

 twelve ; in the meantime by wet applications to the wall 

 of the foot and ointments, to prevent evaporation and try 

 and keep the horn in a natural condition, but such feet 

 are always a trouble and unsatisfactory. 



In the same way that some horses grow very little wall 

 others grow but little sole, and here the risk of lameness 

 becomes considerable ; fortunately by artificial means the 

 sole can be protected and strengthened, but such feet are 

 very troublesome. A horse with thin soles may be shod 

 with leather, and the space between the leather and sole 

 filled in with Stockholm tar and tow ; in some cases it is 

 sufficient to increase the width of web of the shoe so as to 

 afford more protection to the sole, and such shoes must 

 always be ' seated.' 



Flat feet are very common among the heavier breeds of 

 horses ; they should be protected by shoes wide in the 

 web. 



Diseases arising from Bad Shoeing. — -We have alluded 

 to the injuries that occur from shoes being fitted too full ; 

 accidents also occur from clenches being allowed to project; 

 lameness results from shoes bearing on the soles, especially 

 a flat sole. Brittleness of the wall follows rasping of its 

 surface ; contraction of the foot results from cutting away 

 the foot pad or not giving it ground pressure. Inflamma- 

 tion of the sensitive pad (thrush) arises from the absence 

 of ground pressure, and the presence of dirt and filth, 

 especially from the stable flooring. 



Bruising of the sole or deep structure of the foot follows 

 paring out of the sole ; weakening of the heels results from 

 paring away the bars ; seedy toe in some cases from clips 

 being hammered down too tightly. Corns occur from 

 the heel of the shoe pressing into the angle formed by the 

 incurving of the bar, and this is brought about either by 



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