188 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
well-formed crust from the coronet to the toe, is an angle 
of forty-five degrees; but m this formation the angle will 
not exceed from thirty-eight to forty degrees. This incli¬ 
nation is but ill adapted for resisting the effects of pressure : 
and consequently, after the animal has been worked for one 
or two years, the line of inclination, instead of being straight, 
Becomes hollowed half-way between the coronet and the 
toe; a defect that also occurs in pumiced feet. The surface 
presents an irregularly rough appearance, but is more fre¬ 
quently roughened in circles or rings; and the general 
structure of the crust assumes a conical form, with the 
lower portion, or sole, presenting an unnaturally wide 
aspect; and in most instances the foot is larger than it 
ought to be. 
In this ill-formed foot the sole is always so flat that it 
will not stand paring when the horse is shod, and it will be 
found that the bars are very small in size, indeed in many 
cases they can hardly be said to exist; the heels are so low 
that the coronet appears almost to touch the ground, and 
the crust is so thin that it will hardly be capable of 
holding the nails of the shoe. Little good can be ex¬ 
pected from horses with such feet. Besides, they are cer¬ 
tain to be liable to corns; also to frequent bruises and 
convexity of the sole; to the crust being broken ; to 
sprain and injury of the pastern, the fetlock, and flexor 
tendons; and to punctures from the nails in the operation 
of shoeing. 
Feet of this construction are susceptible of little or no 
improvement. To those who have the misfortune to possess 
horses with these feet, we can only recommend that which 
we have condemned in the healthy state, namely, to shoe 
them as seldom as possible. The web of the shoe should 
be light and concave ; the foot should be as sparingly pared 
