The Somerset reporter., 1891-02-05
FARM. GARDEN AND
HOUSEHOLD.
The Abuse Of Horses Feet.
lin American Cultivator.)

II horseshoers could be compelled tc
learn how to treat the horses foot com.
PEELED TO put ON the shoe without mutilat
In. the foot, the work 0f,keepingit In good
condition would be very simple. The out
| er LAYER OF the hoof, although very thin,
Ia dense In texture and very hard. 1T
function Is TO prevent evaporation from
the underlying layers, aud once 1t Is de-
stroyed the hoof becomes brittle, curis In
At both coronet and heels, and finally be
comes utterly unfit for the lw0rk Of sup
porting the horses weight.
The average blacksmith, as II possess
cd of . spirit Of destructiveness, shows
this important part Of the foot NO mercy
but, aided by rssp and sandpaper, puts
forth his best endeavor TO work It's des.
truction. On the sole Of the foot Is Z
thin, horny secretion designed by nature
10 protect It from injury. Here again
the smith carries forward the work OF
destruction by cutting away ever thing
down TO the soft and yielding sole.
As q result Of this the sole becomes dry,
contracts, and II the horse, IL 90 unfor-
tunate Is TO step heavily on any hard sub
stance. this thinned sole Offers NO resis-
lance. and the sensitive and vascular
structures are bruised or punctured, and
serious diseases, perhaps ruin. OF the foot,
has it, beginning. Here on the sole, at
either side Of the frog, are the "bars,"
whose function 1t Ii to prevent incurving
Of the wall Of the hoof at the heels.
These are included In the general des-
tructiop, and contraction Of the heels 10
Invited.
At the heels, where the wall OF the hoof
10 infected In ward to become . part Of
the sola Of the foot. just ct this corner 10
another place for the exercise OF destruc-
tive ingenuity. The smith "opens up the
he. Is" BY cuSting out V-shaped piece on
either eide of the frog, and 30 takes away
another part Of the arch designed BY ma
tuie to prevent the heels curliuR In on
the sensitive structures, and 80 causing
lameness - q certain result. Corns, con-
tracted heels, etc., have their origin In
this special maltreatment.
Want Of space prevents our considering
these things ct length. We must be con-
tent with saying to the horse owner, do
not permit such treatment. Stand over
the smith (and even then he will do just
what you forbid bin DOING, and compel
him TO let the wall and the sole Of the
foot alone. Neither Of these structures
should ever DO cut away, except under the
personal direction Of the skilled, learned,
practical, mechanical farriers who are
natural horsemen and mechanics.
Experiments by the professor have
shown that II hot shoe DO pressed
against the bottom Of the foot II closes
the ends Of the tubes, and prevents tho
foot absorbing It's natural fluids. Further
mOFs. BY my experience l am qualified TO
state, and prove 1t, that corns, quarter
cracks, contracted feet, stumblers, inter-
ferers, knee. hitting, over-reaching, cut
ting quarters, bad breaking and loss Of
speed are caused by improper shooting and
bad fitting, which should DO forbidden by
ali horse owners.
Other and common Causes OF poor feet
ale letting the horses stand ON plank
floors, laid on An incline with spaces one
inch apart. When horse stands on such
q door one side Of the web Of the shoe 10
liable 10 drop into the open space and
cause the ankle to be twisted, and the
horse 10 inclined to trot with his ankle
twisted, which causes him TO cut his
ankle. Furthermore. letting the horse
stand on place that IL not kept clean,
the gases and acids produced by the de-
composition of excrement cause Injury.
Any preparation that contains greases
should not be used, - all c0mmon-sense
horsemen known that grease will I'LL the
tubes of the foot and prevent 1t from OBJ
taining moisture - nature has designed
for preserving the life Of the foot A
horses feet should be washed In warm
water every time that the animal comes
In from drive, and - soon - he reaches
the stable. If:this 10 not observed the
font IN liahla To becomo dfy hard, brittle
and contracted. then the poor animal
soon becomes lame.
PROF. JOEL MCKINNEY.