Year: 1871

The first and important object ir


curing disease Is 10 remove the causg


We must do more than this in tn.
. cure Of contraction by removing the


surplus horn accumulated and apply
. ing mechanical pressure in such . way


as 10 gradually spread the foot back tC


its natural form and condition as il


viii bear.


To DO this we must first thoroughly


soften the feet by DOulticing. Mex


cut down the heels 70 within an eigLI


of an inch or a little more Of the I5ue


yielding horn OF the sole, trim o. -ng


out the sole thoroughly. Cut Down
I carefully between the bars anC frog.
/ If not careful YOU viii cut through


and bring blood ar the extreme Of the
heel, while you have not cut deep
I enough farther forward. Follow the
curve Of the sole, aiming to cut out an


average depth until the heels will
I yield easily to a little pressure.


/ The next object is to gradually force
I the heels outward. There are three
ways doing this:


First, form the shoe of an equal
f thickness all the way round, with nail
holes punched well back in the heels,
I and fit accurately to the foot, so that
II will come cut even with the edge of
the hOOf. Now drive the nails care
fully, so that they Will be deep enough
into the horn to hold firmly without
endangering prickiDg, leaving the
points stick down straight. After all
are driven down, pull them out again.
Heatthe shoe and spread it about one
eight of an inch, more or less accord
ing to what the foot will bear,
and put on again. Now, drive the
nails again, each a little at time un-
til driven home, and ciinch firmly
tits seen that the shoe must now ex-
ert an outward pressure upon the heels
equal to the increased breadth of the
shoe. Keep the foot reasonably soft.
In few days or a week the clinches
can be carefully drawn, the nails pull
ed out, the shoe made wider and nall
ed as before, which,can be repeated 50
long as the nails will hold well.


a simpler method is that of the
convex shoe. The foot is prepared as
before, with the difference of not cut
ting away the bearing surface so much
az the heels. The shoe, instead of
having the bearing surface level,
should be convex, the outer edge from
an eighth to three-sixteenths of an
inch lower than the inner edge, run
ming out at the toe. This surface
should be filed down carefully, and so
fitted to the foot that the heels will
rest on these inclined surfaces, tie
shoe being a little wider than the
heels, and nail on. Now there is a
continued slipping outward of the
heels when weight is thrown upon the
foot Remember one point here. Do
not commit the error of cutting down
the heels very close. You must have
horn enough to keep the shoe from
possibly coming in contact with the
sole. If it does, the inner edge press
ing upon the sole forms a shoulder
which will not only prevent expan-
sion, but bring pressure upon the
yielding sole, bruising the sensitive
sole above, and acute lameness will
result.


The third, and by far the best, is
that Of Tyrrel's patent shoe. By this
shoe, if properly fitted and applied,
the foot can be expanded as little or
as much as may be desired. It will
1AoD NAablG ca uauulL8 one OF DOLu
heels as may be desired, and is un-
questiOnably the best form of shoe
ever invented for the cure Of contrae-
ton. The only difference there Is in
this shoe from the common is: first,
the inside edges of the heels are turn
ed up into little clips second, the
shoe is so cut out at each side of the
toe as to enable bending the quarters
outward, by putting the tOngs or
screw between the heels and PRESSING
them outward. The clips atthe heels
extending up inside OF the bars at the
extreme of the heels press the heels
outward just so much as the shoe is
spread, which can be done every few
days at will until the foot is expanded
as much as may be desired. This is
the great consideration in the cure Of
cOntractiOns so far as mechg uical
pressure is concerned, and of AL the
shoes 1 have seen for the purpose, this
is the best, and in my Judgment is
unTivaled. Withits use contraction
can be cured in a short time. The
shoe has been thoroughly tested, and
IS shown to be the best for the cure of
contracted feet ever brought into
use.-Prof. MdgHer on the Education
Of the Horse,