162 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
of the coffin-bone, not being properly in contact. A very 
trivial cause will induce the foot to contract as much as 
it was before. It is therefore the best policy to allow a 
contraction to remain untouched, unless the action of the 
horse is very much impaired; as it will be seen that a 
great length of time and trouble are required to effect any 
thing like a change on the hoof; and, after all, it is very 
uncertain both in its results and also in its proving an 
effectual cure. The contracted heel can very rarely be 
expanded, for the reason that the elongated and narrowed 
coffin-bone can never be made to resume its former shape, 
nor can that portion of the frog be restored which has been 
absorbed. 
Where old contractions exist, which are accompanied 
with a cautious step, neurotomy , or cutting out a small 
portion of the nerve, may be had recourse to with much 
advantage. The mode in which this is accomplished will 
be found in the chapter treating of operations. By means 
of this, lameness has been completely removed. The foot 
being again allowed to rest fully upon the ground, the 
inner side of the shoe being left free from nails, a portion 
of the contraction is likely to be removed, from the due 
pressure of the sole on the ground expanding the hoof. 
SAND-CRACK. 
This is a downward crack, or division of the hoof, as 
represented on plate 6, fig. 8, a. It may, however, occur 
either in the fore or hind feet. In the fore feet they are 
usually found in the inner quarter, although they sometimes 
exist in the outer quarter. The reason why the quarters 
are most liable to this is, that the chief stress of the foot 
is where it expands, and the inner quarter is weaker than 
the outer. Sand-crack almost always occurs in the front of 
