The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-11
JOURNAL. WEDNESDAY,


understand the anatomy of the horses
foot, or are too wilful to use their
reason or conform to the laws and re-
quirements of nature. When the toes
are left or become too high, and there
by an undue strain is brought on the
hexor tendons, the knees are tilted or
the hind fetlocks are thrown forward,
partly by the strain on the aexors and
partly to relieve the pain and discom-
future caused thereby. 1t is safe to
say that ninety per cent of the lame-
ness and unsoundness of young, I'M
broken horses, is from improper man
agement or neglect of the feet.
Russell, in his great essay on shoe
ing, which received the prize at the
Philadelphia Centennial, says that the
average angle, or as we may say
pitch), of the front side of the hoof of
of the sound, healthy forward foot that
is properly leveled, and when standing
on level floor, is about 400 to 47o; the
hind foot, 47o to 500. Mr.. Rich, an
other good authority, says the angle
should be for the forward feet from 450
to 4So; for the hind feet, from 4So to
$50, as nearly as we remember. Using
these figures, or angles, and proper
tions with good judgment will keep
our colts feet and limbs sound and OF
nice form and shape generally; but if
you, or your blacksmith, have not a
"leveler," showing the angle, go by the
suggestions first given concerning both
sides of the heel, and both ends of the
frogs. If the rasp is used across the
bottom of the hoof until it touches the
sound healthy frog at point and heel it
will be about right in most cases.
Never allow any cutting down between
the hoof and frog at the heel. Why
backsmiths persist in doing this against
all reason and nature still puzzles all
veterinaries and thinking men, as it
has in all ages past. The rasp is the
only necessary and truly good tool for
the fitting of horses feet, and it should
be used almost exclusively on the bot
tom of the foot. Curse the hooked knife
that cuts out the bars at the heels,
slices away the frogs and digs off the
sole that ahould be left to warm and
protect, and sheds itself by natural
wear.
Another common outrage upon ma
ture and the most useful of animals is
rasping or cutting the outside shell of
the horses hoof. That smooth, glossy
"varnish-like" coating of the hoof keeps
it from drying by keeping in the natural
moisture and secretions of the minor
parts of the foot, and should be pre-
served as much as possible, while as to
good looks and 'finished job" moth
ing can make 80 much of finished job
of shooting as shoe nicely fitted to the
bottom of the foot, just as large as the
foot, and 80 that the true slant of the
hoof continues from the hair to the
shoe. A noted sheer of Boston says
"the foot should be so adjusted that
the slant of the hoof in front will be
just the same and continuation of the
slant of the pastern when the horse is
standing evenly and straight on all his
legs on level floor" This would re-
quire rasping the bottom at the toes
more than the average blacksmith is in
the habit of doing, but would probably
be about right in most cases where the
colt or horse was "close jointed" and
straight, like the Morgan breed, but
would hardly do in many cases in the
Hambletonian and other families hav-
ing longer, more oblique and flexible
pasterns Cor fetlocks). There is per-
haps no rule in horse business that
does not have exceptions, and every
thing requires some knowledge and
judgment.
We believe the law should prohibit
any man from "setting up shop" and
shoeing anybody's horse until he can
pass good thorough examination in
scientific farriery and also in the anat-
omy of the horses foot. He would
then use scientific instruments in level
ing the feet, and know what to do and
why he should do it. Let owners prop
erly adjust and level their colts feet in
the spring before turning out to pas
ture, and be sure and kill all lice and
nits. For this purpose we prefer dali
nation insect powder rubbed we'll into
the hair with an old salt-shake, or tin
box with large holes in the cover, as
this is more effectual than any wash we
have used, and we avoid the danger of
the colt taking cold as with wash.
Then the colts will grow and do well,
and in the fall their soundness and fine
appearance will be a satisfactory return
for the care and expense of doing these