A series of original experiments on the foot of the living horse, exhibiting the changes produced by shoeing, and the causes of the apparent mystery of this art / By Bracy Clark.

  • Clark, Bracy, 1771-1860.
Date:
1809
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A series of original experiments on the foot of the living horse, exhibiting the changes produced by shoeing, and the causes of the apparent mystery of this art / By Bracy Clark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/173 (page 15)
    within these parts. They are defended below by a smooth, tough, horny covering, proceeding from the frog, and which also envelops within the same general covering the upper part of both extremities of the hoof, with a broad dense coat, which in an extraordinary manner will be found to pass round the whole upper edge of the hoof next the coronary ring. From their elastic properties the heels enable the back part of the foot to extend itself, on receiving the pressure and weight of the ani- mal ; yielding with a suitable degree of resistance, on this occasion outwardly, in every direction. It is somewhat singular, and worthy of remark, that those parts which form so considerable a share of the foot of the full-grown horse, have scarcely an existence in the young foal: their rudiments or germs only are seen in this period of their life ; for the hoof is then lapped about the coffin bone in a form nearly cylindrical, and is actually larger above at the coronet, than at the base or bottom of the foot. And it is remarkable, that the front of the foot almost singly seems to perform all the offices required of the foot in this stage of his existence; with his limbs held almost straight and erect, and fetlocks very little bent, he in this manner accom- panies his dam, his toes at every step digging as it were in the ground. As his size and weight increases, these parts we are describing, toge- ther with the frog, are brought more to the ground ; and these germs or rudiments of the foot of the foal are, by the pressure and the growth, slowly unfolded : not, however, obtaining their full and completed form till about the fifth year, along with the other members and parts of the body. Nor, may we observe, do they ever obtain their entire growth, if restraint of any sort has been used during this period. It may be proper, after the foregoing reflections, to state, in order to show that we are not on all occasions desirous of pressing beyond necessity the consideration of the natural foot in this enquiry, that these parts