CARE OF UNSHOD FEET. 
427 
% was applied to them and followed by the same result. All the 
f information that could be obtained about the cause was that all 
1 these cows had been served by the same bull, and that this ani- 
f mal, some time before he went to the cows, was delicate and 
t mounted the cows without ambition, and sometimes was unable 
|- to serve,—but that after awhile he seemed to recover and regain 
f all his energy. 
CARE OF UNSHOD FEET. 
f 
A. S. Aekxander, V. S., IN “Breeder’s Gazette.” 
1 . While a great deal is written from time to time regarding 
_ .the overtrimming of the horse’s feet by the shoeing smith, and 
f while there is much truth in the varied complaints set forth by 
k .these writers, they seem to forget that judicious trimming is 
J absolutely neccessary when fitting a shoe and as necessary in 
B .caring for a growing unshod foot. The impractical amateur 
I reiterates the time-worn saying that “The shoe should be fitted 
I to the-foot, not the foot to the shoe,” whereas the truth is that 
each should be carefully fitted to the other; hence a proper 
I amount of trimming i5 necessary and beneficial. We desire, 
jt .however, to draw attention in this article more especially to the 
■ dntelligent trimming of unshod feet, for daily we see in young 
horses the bad results of leaving the hoof entirely to Natnre. 
f On stony, hard, or gravelly ground the tendency is for the hoof 
to wear down somewhat in proportion to the growing process 
? going on continuously. In such districts a tough, fair-shaped 
J. foot is developed naturally and all the attention necessary is to 
t rasp away any cracked portions of wall that may be noticed 
from time to time. 
jT But upon our fertile corn and grass lands where growth is 
» very rapid, excessive secretion of horn may lead to disproportion, 
in the form of the foot, to be followed inevitably by correspond¬ 
ing injurious effect upon the limb. The toe tends to grow toa 
long under the conditions mentioned, and unless it be trimmed 
occasionally the weight is thrown upon the heels and an undue 
strain is put upon the tendons. Such overgrown feet are also 
too high at the heels, and we cannot get this condition without 
finding also that the frog is drawn up out of ground contact 
hence contraction of the heels follows. Overgrowth of hoof 
.may also result in one wall being higher than the other, result- 
