405 
J HE EXIERNAL CONFORMATION OF THE ITORSE. 
Ibs^hincJ quarters, 552 lbs.; difference in favor of front quarters. 
No. 4, a gelding, entire weight 1150 lbs.; front quarters, 630 
lbs.; hind quarter 3,5 [o lbs.; difference in favor of front quarters 
120 lbs. ’ 
The slight discrepancy in those cases of the foregoing be- 
tween the entire weight and the sura total of the front and" hind 
quarters, is no doubt owing to the displacement of the centre of 
gravity in the different attitudes, which could scarcely be con¬ 
trolled. When the animal rests with its foot upon the ground 
the part we see is called the wall (Plate II, Fig. 1, 10); it is 
composed of innumerable horn fibres, which run parallel to each 
other, and are held firmly together by a tenacious substance 
peculiar to the part. The external surface of the wall should be 
smooth and free from grooves or fissues running in any direction; 
m outline it should be circular upon its lower border, having a ' 
somewhat smaller circumference at the upper or coronal ed"o- e . 
The wall should be moderately deep and strong; if shallow the 
foot will be flat, a variety which is sometimes a perpetual nuis¬ 
ance on account of often being affected with corns. The wall 
should not be contracted at the heels, as this form is usually 
associated with coffin joint lameness or some other chronic 
disease of the foot. The sole of the foot should be concave 
rather than flat, and that pyramidal shaped cushion, the frog, 
which appears as if let into the sole behind, should be well 
developed. 
The hind feet are invariably smaller and their soles more 
convex than the front ones; lameness in the hind foot is of 
comparatively rare occurrence. Many persons believe that feet 
with dark colored horn are stronger, and able to stand the wear 
and tear of hard work better than the lighi colored ones, but 
our experience has failed to demonstrate the truth of this idea. 
The white foot will show the invasion of the part by inflamma¬ 
tion more perceptibly, which we think is the cause of disease 
often being noticed in the white one when a similar complaint 
would, and often does, pass unnoticed in a dark colored foot. 
