Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-05-24
Common Sense Treatment
of the Horses Feet

Every farmer should know
enough about keeping the feet OF
his horses and colts in shape, and
have the few simple tools needed,
to enable him to do many things
which, in the ordinary course OF
events, are left for the horseshoer
to do. Now most anyone having
any knowledge of farmers, their
! work and their ways, knows that
they often neglect to visit the
borseshoer until long after they
should have done so. In some
cases it it is a long trip to the sho-
er's and in others the press OF
work is such that it seems almost
impossible to take the time off me-
,essity to go; but, in either case,
unless the farmer is able to look at
Ter the feet of the horses or colts
himself incalcuable damage may be
done.
Two pairs of nippers. one such
as are used to pull nails, etc, and
the other such that are used TO cut
off The edges Of the hoof, and a
blacksmith's rasp, will enable a
farmer to keep the feet of his hor-
SEES in pretty fair shape except
when shoeing is absolutely neces
sary.
With the young colt there should
be absolutely no necessity to en-
plov the services of a horseshoer.
Sometimes the feet of a sucking
will be fouad to be growing unev-
enlv. that is, faster on one side
than on the other. A rasp will do
all the work necessary at such a
time. Rasp down the homegrown
portion until the foot is level and
then round off the edges a trifie so
that the hoof will not break easily.
Look at tho feet Of the colt every
few weeks, keeping them level and
even. and when the time comes to
nut shoes on him there will be lit
tie danger Of his being troubled as
are oftentimes young horses whose
feet have not been properly cared
for previous to being shod, Farm
horses maA bc al we'd to 60 bare
footed mall, times if they are to be
kept fl he hard roads: indeed ma
nv horses, If their feet are properly
cared for are benefited by being
/
allowed TO 90 without shoeing for
a time. In such cases use the mp
pers and rasp often enough to keep
the feet from getting too long and
see always that the bearing surface
is level.
There are eases where shoelng
must be ,esorted to in order to ell
liable a horse to work with any COM
| fort and such horses should never
be compelled to remain away from
the sheer after it becomes evident
that the feet med his attention.
Corns are often the result OF allow
limo shoes to remain on too Iona
AID they are not only very painful
to the horse but annoying to the
owner. To secure relief the shoes
! should be reset every three or -four
J weeks and it should be seen to thai
the sheer relieves the heels from
undue pressure when shoeing. VI
tentimes it will be found to be ad
yisable to cut out the seat OF tn
rn with q ronnd knife. filling tn
cavity with oakum and some goo'
S h Of ointment.
: Interfering, one Of the common
s est troubles which farmers exrer'
I ence v t / their road horses,and ON
) which unless treated with intelll
G eence is most difficult to secure re
D lief from, results in nine cases GU
of ten from unbalanced feet, al
though occasionally it may b
caused by muscular weakness o
= - the part Of horses that are in
d weak and impoverished condition
e Once in a while horse will cor
= = tract the habit Of interfering fror
1t being driven with the shoe twiste
across the footslightly or from
nail working loose. When intel
o fering is caused by an unbalance
: hoof see that the inside of the hoe
: Is is perfectly smooth and free frol
e all protuberances, building up tn
deficient side of the foot with