Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-17
Undesirable Feet.

The study Of the anatomy of the horses
,oo, S,;ggests the great Importance Of
. r,or ) attention to the feet of all domest; :
'% ""ni;,oals; evinces the necessity Of yrsot
slSll and caution on the part of all ners
s ems who shoe horses; throws > u M
LIGHT on the origin nature and proper
treatment OF the various diseases to
which horses feet are subject, particn.
1srlv contraction of the hoof, founder
csnkcr, corns, and cracks, thrush and
%ouittor; and affords a ready explanation
# a few points, which we will proceed
"a state, respecting ms1formations mr.
undesirable peculiarities in the structure
Of the feet OF some particular horses,
4 thin foot is one which has a thin
wall; and though perfectly w~ell-shaped-
and in all respects pleasing to the eve,
# is peculiarly liable to damage fron,
either the attaching of the shoe. travel
inc on hard ground, excessive draugbt;
in summer, or excessive moisture in
winter. The bottom of the wall of a
thin foot is generally ragged; and when
the shoe is removed, the whole verge is
seen to be thin. A strong foot has the
fbres of the 'hoof very distinct, and
somewhat similar in appearance to
those of any ,easily-split timber; and if
not kept carefully moist and pliahle. it
becomes almost as hot as iron, and q n
ders the foot lame and tender without
revealing the cause of the lameness; and
when hurt'to the quick, and locally in
famed, has a tendency to cause a very
troublesome eruption around the ,coro-
net. and is always subject ito rents and
tissues of the hoof, somtiMes SO severe
as to terminate in the total disruption
of the coffin bone from the sensible
foot. A narrow-heeled foot, in
some instances, is to,erably good;
but in others, inclines to heat and
r%ottenness, and, when tampered with in
the usual manner of the ordinary "hoss
DOCTOR" is almost certain to become
bloodhound. A fore foot of,perceptibly
smaller size than its fellow, may, in the
course of time, become feeble and in,
capable. A flat foot, shaped like an
oyster, has many rings and wrinkles,
and probably requires a hollow-shaped
shoe, and generally renders the animal
unfit for the saddle, and not the fittest
one for the pillow. A .low-heeled foot
lCuSCIS VitC Stulu1ul y Ddu GldtClcI, duu
a high-heeled foot lis subject to un-
,steadiness of action, to tripping and
stumbling, and to sprains in the coffin
and pastern joints. "A foot of dispro-
portionately large size is usually &C
companied with ~slenderness and COM
parative weakness of limb, and indi-
Gates inability for any brisk OF vigorous
action. A white foot is popularity re-
garded as inferior to a foot of any other
color. Indeed, when q horse has too
many of his feet white they do not al
ways prove the best; yet we have seen
white-footed horses have their feet such
that the ablest judges could not find
fault with.
When a foot is smooth and tough, of
a middle size, without wrinkles, neither
too hard and brittle, nor too soft, and
when the heel is firm, open and in no
ways spongy or rotten. and the frog
horny or dry, and the sole somewhat
hollow, like the inside of a dish or bowl,
whatever be the color, such a foot will
for the most part turn out good, though
the dark or black hoof, when it re-
semb1es that Of deer, is generally the
best; and for this reason, those who are
the most particular about a horses feet,
do not choose such as have much white
upon their legs and pasterns, to avoid
their having too many white feet
Prairie Farmer.