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A Handbook for Horse Owners

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Split UpA bad development of the inner thigh
Stag-facedA face concave towards the nostrils
Stag or Calf KneedBack in the knees
Standing OverGiving at the knee
Tied-in below the kneeweak sinews below the knee
Tucked upLooking thin
Well let downHocks of a good shape
Weighing inWeight tried after a race
Weighing outWeight tried before a race
WhistlerA horse with wind trouble
YawingA horse that 'reaches at it's bridle'

SHOEING

One of the most frequent causes of lameness in horses is faulty shoeing. There is even an old rule that when a horse is unaccountably lame, you should take his shoes off. A knowledge of shoeing and a study of the horse's foot is essential to all horse-owners.

STRUCTURE OF THE FOOT

In the centre of the foot, surrounded by the soft and sensitive structures which produce the horn, are the small bones which in reality form the last joint of the leg. They are the pedal bone and the navicular bone. The pedal, or coffin, bone goes right into the foot and is wedged into the toe; the navicular is a little bone at the back, working like a sort of shuttle between the pedal bone and the bone above, which is called the short pastern bone. The wall is that part of the hoof which is visible when the foot is on the ground. The upper edge of the wall, near the coronet, is thin and soft; below this it is uniformly thick. The bars are this horny crust turned inwards and joined on to the frog. They are nature's provision for saving the foot from contraction. They demand no special treatment, and should be left entirely alone. Farriers, however, often cut them away to give a more open appearance to the foot. But when this is done contraction usually occurs and corns are produced. The sole is the flat portion inside the foot. It also requires no treatment. The frog is the thick, wedge-shaped piece of horn fitted point foremost into the gap in the heel. Its consistency should be that of firm india-rubber, tough and elastic. It does not need paring or treatment. Its function is that of a pad intended by nature to absorb the jars and concussions of movement and to prevent slipping; it also acts as a support to the pedal and the navicular bones. Thus it is of great importance. The white line: When a foot is washed clean, a white line can be seen going round the foot between the wall and the sole. This is the line of demarcation between the sensitive and insensitive parts of the foot and shows the farrier where his nails can be inserted. The weight-bearing surface: If we look at the foot of an unshod horse at grass, it will be seen that the frog, no less than the wall and that part of the sole immediately within the white line, is in wear. This is the bearing to imitate when preparing the foot for shoeing; but when the shoe is applied it has become modified. It is impossible to raise the wall with half an inch of iron and still have the frog on the ground. The functions, too, will have to be modified. In soft going, and over broken ground, the frog, in the shod foot, will be in good use. For it must be remembered that in a horse's action, the part of the foot that touches the

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