The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1863-11-20
AaMtaLtatal.
The Horses s Frog.

DR., Dadd, the distinguished veterinary
surgeon, whose name and wisdom have
often gracsd Cur columns, has contributed
toAhe Valley Farmer the annexed remarks
6n'the frog Of horses foot, so little un
derstood BY the public at large, and espe-
cialiy by IH9selShoers, who hase so much
to do with it I'VE commend his article
to general perusal.-,!d ..mo1l %a.a7
The Frog of colt n horse that has
never been shod is full, prominent and
callous; tits solid, wedge-like substance
of horne, extending from the cleft to near
the point of the Toe, soft and elastic within.
The horny covering projects the nuvicalar
bone; aud its removal in the process of
shoeing often occasions a very painful, dis
ease. known as navicularthntis. Avery
distinguished surgeon asserts that when
once tue outer covering and bulbous en-
largement of the frog is, removed or sliced
off, the navicular region is in d,ngr, and
the part Within the toof, such as the naVi-
cular bone and cdihn juint, are liable to
concussion. 1beliere that all persons com
yersant with the facts in the case, will
agree that the cushion.like substance
known as the frog operates SO as to guard
against jar and conclusion. 1t is part
Of the basis of the animal structure, and
therefore it should be pared with caution.
Cut away the frog, aud we remove solar
support, and thus prevent the sole coming
in contact with the ground. Tie best
Sl h.,,,
bars or frog. We may remove the rough
and loose portiohs of the same, or in other
words about as much as the animal with
out shoes would naturally wear off; aud
even this is not always good policy, for
the ragged and uneven parts often serve
as a protection TO the sub-part | grant
the sole, frog and bars Look better when
nicely pared, bat health does not consist
alone Of good appearance. -,a .s.. ..
tu former times, ere the anatomy of the
foot was understood, the writer's and practi-
toners advocated the cut ting away Of a
great portion of the frog aud bars as an
important feature Of the art of shoeing
One author has tried to ''smooth the mat
ter over'' in the following language: "The
frog offers so little resistance to the knife,
and presents such an uneven surface, that
it requires more philosophy than some
blacksmlths possess to resist the temptation
to slice it away, despite knowledge that
it would be far " User TO let it alone.
One Of. the best authorities on this sub
ject informs us that he never allows knife
to apporach the frog, because the expert,
ment has shown that the frog possesses
less power of reproducing horn than some
other parts of the foot; and the same per-
son has. had horses in his possession for a
period Of five years whose frogs were never
pared.
Then the question may arise, how is the
frog to discucumber itself of its superfu-
Gus surface! | answer, nature bias provi-
ded means-the frog surfa.e are occa-
sioually or periodically sloughed or cast
of, aud when this does occur in the natural
way, it will be found that new horny
covering has formed-a smaller frog ap-
pears-yet it is,a complete one4-much
better than that which is artifcially pro-
ddced by the drawiDgknife. .'M ''a !,
d