EXPERIMENTS ON THE FOOT OF THE HORSE. 
67 
The shoe, when applied, presented a rim of iron one inch 
high, running from heel to toe, around, and parallel to, the crust ; 
leaving a space between the rim and crust of half an inch in 
breadth, 
Six nail-holes were in the shoe, two around the toe and four 
around the inside ; the outside, to which the rim was attached, 
being left unnailed. 
The bearing surface of the shoe was perfectly level from toe to 
heel. 
Six holes were then drilled in a row through the rim, as closely 
as possible to the upper surface of the shoe, in order that they 
should be opposite to the inferior circumferent border of the crust : 
these holes tended towards a common centre within the foot. 
Above this row, and towards the heel, was another row of three 
holes. To the whole, finely pointed screw pins (of the same size 
as in the former experiment) were adapted. 
The shoe having been firmly nailed upon the foot, each pin was 
screwed into its place until its point came into contact with the side 
of the crust. The whole of the pins having been adjusted, the 
horse was put into action with this lateral harrow attached. 
I would have reversed this order of things, and applied my 
experiment to the inside of the foot, if possible ; but it must be 
manifest that, so placed, the apparatus would have proved inconve- 
nient, if not detrimental, to the horse during locomotion. 
The result of this experiment was that each pin had caused a 
puncture, those at the quarter and heel having penetrated deepest, 
about the sixteenth of an inch, whilst the others seem to have 
entered a little less. Only one pin. (the most posterior) was in- 
serted in the upper row, and this did not appear to have entered 
quite so deeply as those below. 
I must here observe, that to this experiment the foot operated 
on was altogether unfavourable, being of a very hard and in- 
elastic nature ; so much so, that I feel convinced that more striking 
results would follow a second trial made upon a different subject. 
I have taken the liberty of forwarding for your inspection the 
shoes used in these experiments, should you think the subject of 
sufficient import to induce you to favour your readers with an 
illustration*. 
These experiments shew that there is a measurable descent of 
the horny sole, and therefore the existence of that pressure from 
the sensitive structures above (upon every motion of the animal) 
which has been considered auxiliary to the circulation of the foot. 
* Mr. Reeve’s descriptions of the shoes and their application appear to us 
so clearly intelligible, that any representation of the shoes seems supereroga- 
tory. — Ed. Vet. 
