Essays on horse subjects

Of the many faults, accidents or habits to which horseflesh is heir, “interfering” is one of the most troublesome. Fortunately, however, it is one that admits of a large measure of prevention, and the ill-effects of it can, to a very considerable extent, be overcome. In the consideration of this subject, one of the most important points to thoroughly study is the causes. Of the somewhat numerous influences which contribute to this fault, defective conformation is a very important one in predisposing to it. It is important from the fact that cases that are largely the result of defective formation are the most difficult to successfully cope with. A horse of perfect formation of limbs should raise, advance and put down his feet approximately in a straight line in the walk or trot. Any deviation inwards from the straight line renders him liable to strike if any exciting cause is brought into operation.

Narrow horses, particularly if they are leggy, are apt to go close both behind and in front, and consequently to “brush.” Those that “toe-out” either in the hind or fore extremities, usually wind inwards in progression, and are consequently apt to interfere. In fact, there is no formation of limb that so strongly predisposes to this fault, in its most aggravated form, as the defect just mentioned. Horses as a rule that “toe-in” in the fore limbs, wind outwards, and consequently show no disposition to “brush.” In such cases the “turning-in” of the toes is due to the position in which the leg is fixed on to the body. It is due to the back part of the leg showing a tendency to turn outwards from the body. This can be most clearly observed at the elbow, where the point inclines outwards. “Toeing-in,” however, is not always the result of a malposition of the limb throughout, for sometimes the deformity is confined to that portion of it from the fetlock down, constituting what might be called a “club-foot.” This formation often predisposes to “striking” to a marked degree, as in progression the foot comes very close to the opposite limb. In spite of the predisposition many horses show to interfering, from defective formation, such horses may be seen working month after month without inflicting any injury to themselves.

Horses that are in good condition, well balanced in going, and that have complete power of co-ordinating the movements of their limbs, are the ones that are likely to escape the not infrequent consequences of defective formation of limb. The exciting causes of interfering are numerous, but the one most frequently heard spoken of is defective shoeing, and it is no doubt sometimes a cause, but not nearly so frequently as is sometimes supposed. The unfortunate shoer is frequently maligned for what is no fault of his. It does not matter how some horses are shod, or whether they are shod or not, they will interfere under some circumstances.

The best that we can do in the way of shoeing is to use a good, rational shoe, properly applied on a suitably prepared foot. Too heavy a shoe will sometimes act as a cause from the excessive weight taxing the muscular control of the limb unduly, so that during quick movements and sharp turns, “striking” is particularly apt to occur. Leaving the hoofs too large is sometimes a cause, from the simple consequence of its bringing the hoof closer to the opposite leg. Not only that, but the increased length of toe resulting from too large a hoof intensifies the tendency to winding either in or out in progression, and consequently increases the tendency to “cut.”

The first step, then, in the attempt to prevent striking, is to reduce the wall to reasonable dimensions with the rasp. Defects of the form and direction of hoof may sometimes be remedied in a measure; as, for instance, in a horse that “toes-out,” shorten the outer part of the toe to a greater extent than the inner. The tendency of this is not only to correct the unsightliness of the deformity, but also to remedy its ill-consequence in progression. The same may be done, but just in the opposite way, in horses which “toe-in.” In the hind legs it is generally the inner part of the toe of the hoof that inflicts the injury. This can be rasped so as to reduce its convex form to an approach to a straight line with the rasp, which lessens somewhat the danger. The shoe should be of reasonable weight, strong enough to keep it from breaking, and set in as much as possible on the inside without running too much risk of bruising the sole. Have the inside branch of the shoe narrow and rounded, so that there will be as little danger of inflicting injury as possible. The nails may also be withheld from the inside of the toe, so that no injury may be done from the clinches. It is a good plan to also shorten the inside of the hoof more than the outside and compensate for this by deepening the inside branch of the shoe, so as to keep the foot level and have even bearing. The inside branch of the shoe may be made almost straight from the toe back, and the hoof made to correspond pretty much in form. The following out of this plan of shoeing will minimize the likelihood of injury being done by striking.

The weighting of the shoe on the outside is often recommended by having the outer branch considerably heavier than the inner one, with the idea that the weight on the outside makes a horse go wider. This would, no doubt, be the tendency, and provided it does not increase the weight of the shoe too much, there is no objection to it.

Another plan sometimes followed is to raise the inside of the foot higher than the outside, with the idea that the fetlock of the leg on the ground will be thrown outwards, and thus be more likely to escape injury from the opposite foot. This plan is irrational, from the fact that it causes a horse to tread unevenly, and thus tends to result in injury to some other part of the leg, disturbing the relations of the various parts that make up the weight-bearing column.

In the front legs a three-quarter shoe is sometimes used, the shoe only coming half way round on the inside, and not covering the ground surface of the inner quarter. The difficulty about this plan is getting the shoe so applied that all the wall will bear its normal amount of weight. It doesn’t do to leave the inner quarter unsupported, for in that case there will be tilting of the leg inwards when the foot is put on the ground, or, in other words, uneven treading, with the ill-consequences already explained.

Charlier shoes sometimes do very well and are much safer than a three-quarter shoe. This is a light, narrow-webbed shoe, that only comes half way round on either side of the hoof and is sunken into a groove cut out of the plantar surface of the wall, so that the lower surface of it is just flush with the quarters that are not grooved out. By this plan there is an even bearing all round the hoof, a light shoe, and one no more likely to cause injury to the opposite leg than the natural unshod hoof. The drawback about this shoe for general use on hard roads is that it has not strength enough to form a substantial stay to the hoof. It also lessens the action, and horses are apt to go sore with them on very hard roads.

It is questionable if we have a much better device for shoeing interfering horses than the rubber pads now so generally in use in cities. Their use has a tendency to prevent interfering by virtue of their effect in preventing slipping, which is one of the exciting causes of this trouble. In the hind legs, where “cutting” is most usual, the inner and back part of the fetlock is the common seat of injury. Occasionally in horses with a good deal of hock action, they will strike the leg higher up, and in very low, close-going horses the inside of the coronet is scraped.

In the front legs the injury may be anywhere from the fetlock to the knee. When it is high up it generally gets the designation of speedy-cut. Another cause of “striking” is fatigue. It has already been pointed out that when a horse has not perfect control of his legs he is apt to “brush,” so that horses that have not had regular work and good feed for a length of time, or, in other words, are not in good condition, are easily fatigued and consequently liable to interfere.

The uneven footing of rough roads, slippery roads or pavements, the swaying of a two-wheeler, are all circumstances likely to interfere with a horse’s equilibrium, and consequently are not infrequently exciting causes of “striking.”

Another very fertile exciting cause, particularly in cities, and one which, strange to say, is never referred to in print, is the influence of discomfort in connection with the mouth in causing “interfering.” There is nothing that puts a horse out of balance more completely than anything wrong with his mouth. Horses that cross their jaws, open their mouths, put their tongues out or over their bits, carry their heads sideways, fuss with their bits, slobber, pull, etc., or “pull out” or “crowd” in double harness, generally have some soreness of the mouth caused by their bits, and, if they are at all predisposed, are very apt to “cut.” We see examples of this every day in cities where dealers get horses from the country that have been chiefly used to snaffle bits. They at once begin to drive them with curb bits, and they nearly all show some discomfort at the change in the various ways already mentioned. It is very common to see a horse cut his legs badly, under such circumstances, that showed no evidence of ever having struck before. The treatment of “interfering” resolves itself largely into methods of prevention. The most important point is to remove the cause, where practicable, and if not, to endeavor to neutralize its operation as much as possible.

If a horse is in danger of “striking” himself on account of the mouth not being in proper order, or from any other exciting cause remaining in operation, protect the part or parts that are likely to be injured, with a boot. If any part is injured from “cutting,” keep that part protected until it has entirely recovered from the effects of the injury.

In a large majority of cases after a horse is in good condition, his mouth well made, and he is properly shod, there will be no need for boots, unless he is subjected to some exciting cause, or unless he is markedly predisposed from defective formation.