142 
REV IE W— ILLUSTRATIVE FARRIERY. 
lie states, “varies:” the inner heel being sometimes level with the 
outer heel, or lower than it, depending on a variety of circumstances. 
The next point to be ascertained is the thickness of the crust at 
all parts around the inferior circumferent line of the foot. There 
is likewise displayed great ingenuity of conception, providing the 
formula comes to answer in all varieties of feet. Mr. Hodgson 
measures 3 \ parts, according to the above scale (if we here under¬ 
stand him correctly) from the point of the frog, anteriorly, to¬ 
wards the crust— (we rather imagine, however , he means to say 
that he divides the space from the point of the frog to the junction 
of the crust and sole, anteriorly , into 3| parts , and measures two 
parts backwards from the point of the frog) —and then measures 
two parts directly backwards from the point of the frog towards 
its centre, from which latter point to the former one he describes 
a semicircle, the hoof projecting outside of this semicircle shewing 
the thickness of the crust at all parts, close up to which line nails 
may be driven with perfect safety. This thickness of crust at 
particular parts of the hoof varies very materially in different 
horses; and it depends on several conditions, such as turning in 
the toe of the foot from malformation of the extremity when 
the inner part of the crust is strongest and thickest, and turning 
out of the leg when the state of the hoof is reversed; the outside 
portion of the hoof being, as everybody knows, the thickest. 
Mr. Hodgson having, as he considers, established these prin¬ 
ciples, calculates that shoes can be made for any sized feet with 
great precision and facility ; the nail-holes being put in places 
marked out by a regular rule and scale adapted to each size and 
variety of foot. 
Mr. Hodgson makes a very pertinent remark, and strongly en¬ 
forces it on the attention of those superintending the shoeing of 
horses, which is, always to keep up the proper “ declination” of 
the hoof; he being of opinion that inattention to this point is a 
very frequent cause of lameness. In illustration of his observa¬ 
tion, Mr. H. has made use of a foot-board for a horse to stand 
upon, fitted up with a quadrant, in order to demonstrate the angle 
of declination of the hoof. He considers that a horse’s hoof, while 
not supporting weight, describes an angle of 35 (45?) degrees; but, 
