Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-02-28
wHAT A HORSES FOOT is.
Its Marvellous Anatomy and How 1t Should
Re Treated.

scribe briefly and to illustrate by Sec
tions and diagrams the wonderful struc-
ture Of the foot, first the bone forming
| the distal ends of the four extremities,
articulated il such manner and degree
of obliquity as to minimize conclusion,
next the wonderful arrangement of the
soft tissues covering the bones over
run and intersected by networks of
blood vessels and nerve ibers, firmly at
tached to the bone, yet so disposed as to
not only secrete the horn, but to keep
secreting it while the animal lived, to
carry on these functions even while ex-
| posed to compression and conclusion
from the enormous loads which it had
to bear from the weight of the animal,
his burden and the momentum of his
movements, yet SO perfect was the ar
rangement that seldom indeed did we
| find that even blood vessel was rup-
| tured or a tissue bruised, SO long as it
| was left in natural condition. He next
| showed the beautiful dovetailed con-
! nection of the hoof to the sensitive or
| soft tissues, model and diagram being
used to illustrate. The structure of the
wall, sole and frog were explained. He
| then spoke of the foot as whole and
declared it perfect in structure, perfect
in function, and as proved by the horse
in a state Of nature, a perfect protection
for the sensitive foot within.
why mutilate SO perfect g struc-
ture? The protection Of this horny foot
cover, as the hoof may be called, from
l,x-o inf,
the hard roads of civilization, by an iron
rim or shoe is necessary for the full util-
ization Of the animals powers and use
fulness 1t has been truly called "a nee
essary evil as our own foot covers are,
yet surely the foot can be protected with
out our having to chronicle rs per cent
of the lamenesses, Of the fore feet at
least, being due to faulty shooting. With
the farrier would plead for the poor
horse, to see to it that he himself and
his worknen are taught something at
least of the anatomy and physiology of
the horse's foot, to think of it as very
sensitive, highly organized structure and
not thoughtlessly to cut away as useless
that horny sole, SO necessary to protect
the tender sole which it covers. Do not
scoroh it by applying, while fitting,
too hot shoe. In fitting the shoe re-
member that it is to remain ON night
and day. It is not to be removed at bed
time, as your own. II it twists and dis
torts the foot and parts of the limb above
it, there is no relief from the torment
Of cramp and sprain: if it presses hard
Oh sensitive part, being firmly nailed
on, the horse must suffer night and day.
In mailing the shoe on be careful that
the nails do not press on or penetrate
the sensitive parts. The horse cannot
remove it, and the careless groom may
not notice it for days. If you would but
think of the suffering which poor horses
undergo from your carelessness OF ig-
norance, you would treat the foot less
as an insensible block of wood
''To the owner L would say: If you
can afford to keep horse, if you re-
quire the services of a horse, deal with
him us you would with any other Of
your assistants. He cannot take care of
himself; you must hire a man to take
care Of him. Think of him as noble
animal almost as sensitive as yourself,
having pleasurable feelings and suffer
ing pain in not much less degree than
yourself or any member of your family,
and let the thought influence you when
you hire his caretaker. Don t let few
dollars month influence you in the
choice between a good and a bad groom.
If you would think Of the pain and an
guish, the sleepless nights and unhappy
days Of MANY horses, owing to the neg
lect of their feet by ignorant or dissi-
pated grooms, you would give your sta
BILE more personal supervision, and you
would see that your groom not only
knew what was necessary to procure the
comfort of your horse in the manage
ment of his feet, but that he would at
tend to and put into practice such
knowledge Owners sometimes cause
great suffering by penuri business and a
false economy about shoeing bills and
stable expenses.
"To the public would say you can
do much to protect the foot of the horse
and save him from suffering. Are you a
merchant? See to it that your men think
of the poor horses which deliver and re-
move your goods, when breaking up
packing boxes, sweeping out nails into
lanes and back streets. When l tell you
that large number of valuable horses
are lost annually, particularly those
horses handling railway goods, owing
to carelessness in this respect, nails pene-
trating the sole or frog of the foot, pro-
ducing most painful ard often inourable
wounds of the deep structures of the
foot, you will see that it is your duty to
give this your consideration. This is q
subject. in fact, which should call for
civic legislation, for it is but right that
the horses should be protected from the
suffering thus inflicted and their owners
| from such serious preventable losses. .
Live Stock Points.
Do up now all the jobs of mending
pasture, fences, gates, stiles and lot in
| closures that will be needed in the spring
when the grass grows. You will gain
many days of time thus.
| To r,3ol-o cow uO0d n1i1l-pr brood