THE HORSE’S FOOT. 
95 
possible. The feet, deprived of their accustomed protection, 
would soon become painful, and only by keeping the animal in 
the country could the feet be suffered to remain unshod. , 
Several modes of shoeing have been invented to prevent con¬ 
tractions in feet which are predisposed to them. Some are un¬ 
doubtedly beneficial, but they must be used as an ordinary shoe¬ 
ing, and not reserved until the access of the disease. Good 
ordinary shoeing is often all that is required, but no doubt better 
and quicker results will be obtained by the shoe with short 
branches, with the flat shoe, or with the Charlier shoe. 
The half shoe, the shoe with short branches (fer a croissant !), 
originally recommended by Cesar Fiaschi, then by Solleysel, 
Lafosse, Sr., and Crompton, is an ordinary shoe, made light, with 
very short branches (fig. 7), which when put on protects the toe, the 
mammas (outside or inside toe), and the anterior parts of the 
quarter in such a manner that the parts posterior to these remain 
uncovered, and rest directly on the ground. Thus shod, the shoe 
is almost in its natural condition; it rests on the ground by its 
posterior part, and the heels are made to contribute to the move¬ 
ment of expansion of the elastic parts of the foot, This shoe 
