114 Veterinary Elements. 



of foot or by weighting with heavy shoes, the weight 

 being placed at or near the toe, therefore, the extreme 

 high action shown by some horses may be considered as 

 more or less artificial ; education has a great deal to do 

 with high action, as it is well known by horsemen that 

 the so-called high-stepping breeds need educating in 

 order to get the highest action out of them. 



Hoofs of working horses should be picked out and 

 cleaned daily. The ground surface of shoes should be 

 fiat, or rolled slightly at the toe. 



In order to examine the hind foot, if the animal is at 

 all unreliable, stand with back to the horse's head; if 

 the near hind foot is to be examined, stand on that side 

 and run the left hand gently, but firmly, down the limb, 

 beginning on the top of the rump, until the hamstring is 

 reached, just above the point of the hock, grasp that part 

 firmly then with the open right hand, palm up, grasp 

 the leg just at the pastern, lift and place on the thigh. 

 Various defects of the gait, such as forging and interfer- 

 ing, contracted feet are rectified or improved by shoeing. 



Forging is a defect of the gait, due mainly to conforma- 

 tion, being higher at croup than at withers, long legs 

 and short bodies, or legs too much underneath the body. 

 It may be due to weakness, laziness, bad shoeing, or the 

 delight of hearing the clicking sound. The noise (click- 

 ing) is made by one hind foot or shoe striking the front 

 shoe of the same side. 



To correct the trouble give the feet their proper slope, 

 about fifty degrees, by lowering either the heels or toes. 

 The hind shoes must be no longer and no wider than the 

 hoof; the hind shoes should be shortened at the toe, the 



