St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-06
SHOEING nORSES.
Bad Feet Are Due to Bad Manage
Dlcnt in the Sheer.

Not long ago very lame horse was
brought to our notice, the owner being
quite unable 10 locate the seat of tie
trouble Or its cause. A careful investi-
CATION showed that faulty shOeing was
to blame for the lameness. The shoes
were much too heayy,and protruded be-
hind so that part of the frogs and heels
rested upon them, and received every
conclusion in full force when the horse
was used upon the hard pavements. BY
removing these shoes and adjusting
lighter ones which fitted only on the
horny shell, the lameneSS was done
away with. This shows that little at
tenti0n on the part of the farmer HIM
self will often prevent trouble when his
horses are newly ShOd. The following
hints by a correspondent of the New
York Tribune are of value in this con-
nection. He says:
An experienced sheer claims that
most ill-Shaped feet were so the first
time the horse was taken TO the shop.
Several in his town have the feet of
their colts trimmed every few months
until they are shod, and he never saw
an imperfect foot on one of them. Colts
are born with perfect feet. Nature in
tended them 10 run On the ground con-
Stantly, and if they did, their h0ofs
would wear away evenly, but, instead,
they are kept indoors five months of
the year; tie hoofS become long ami
break off in pieces from time to time.
If considerable piece breaks off at the
side, the foot runs over, like all old
boot, and the colt acquires the habit of
walking partially on the side of the
foot. which is very difficult to remedy.
SnynHtiOoAc both Cihac off lno,
ing the toe unnaturally long. thus
throwing more weight on the
heels, causing them to wear away faster
than they should. This produces fiat
feet. The uneven breaking-oif of the
hoof5 before the animal natures causes
most of the imperfectionS in the feet of
the horse, with resultant ringbOnes,
spavins, cnrbs and other ailments.
When horse with a bad foot comes to
be Shod, it runs over at the side. it
should be leyeled up gradually at sew
eral succeeding shOeings, by making
the shoe thicker at one side and pairing
down the hoof little the more on the
opposite side. Ii the feet are fat the
heels should be let alone and the toes
cut as far back as it will answer at
every shooting. The shoe should never
bear on the sole of the foot, but on
the wall alone. If the sole is low
down and presents convex
surface, as is often the case, the
shoe should either be made con-
cave, to match, or very narrow to
fit only on the horny shell. If the ami
mai has contracted feet the heels should
be cut away all it will 10, as we'll as the
horn on the bottom of the foot, and the
shoes should be beveled out from the
quarters back, that the feet may have a
tend ency 80 spread. If the animal has
ringbene or any stiffness i'll the joints
the toes should be cut back. This rule
applies also to cases of SPAWN, thorough
pin, curbs, etc. Bad feet in horses are
generally traceable to inattentien of
man. The feet of colts should be at
tended to once in three months, from
the time they are first stabbed in the fall
until they reach maturity, and then per-
| manently good feet will be assured. If
agricultural societies would employ a
Skillful man to shoe horses at their fairs
. and give illustrative lectures they would
accomplish more good than they do now
by some of their transactions.