[Footnote A:  This is the treatment strongly advocated by A.A.  Holcombe, D.V.S., Inspector, Bureau of Animal Industry, U.S.A.]

(b) Thinning the Wall in the Region of the Toe.—­This is done with the idea that the tendency of the heels to expand under pressure of the body-weight is helped by the thinned portion at the toe allowing the heels to more readily open behind.  Seeing that in the case of toe sand-crack the converse is argued—­that contraction of the heels readily takes place and forces the sand-crack wider open—­it is doubtful whether this method is of any utility in treating contracted heels.

(c) Grooving the Wall Vertically or Horizontally, and Shoeing with a Bar Shoe.—­Marking the wall with a series of grooves, each running in a more or less vertical direction, was suggested to English veterinarians by Smith’s operation for side-bones.

The manner of making the grooves, and the instruments necessary, will be found fully described in Section C of Chapter X.

That the method is followed by satisfactory results the undermentioned case will show: 

’A mare, which I have had in my possession since she was a foal, has always had contracted feet, which were also unnaturally small....  Lately the mare has been going very “short,” and at length her action was quite crippled.  At times she was decidedly lame on the off fore-foot.  At no time have I been able to detect any sign of structural disease.  I thereupon concluded that the lameness was due to mechanical pressure on the sensitive structures, and I determined to try the effects of the above treatment.  As this was my first experience of the process, I was careful to carry it out in all its details, as described by Professor Smith.  After the bar shoes had been put on, the mare was very lame.  I allowed her two days’ rest, then commenced regular walking exercise, and she daily improved.  After fourteen days there was no lameness, but still short action.  I thereupon gave the mare another week’s walking exercise, at the expiration of which I drove her a short turn of five miles, which she did quite well, and free from lameness.  For three months I kept the saw-cuts open to the coronet, and continued the bar shoes, keeping the mare at exercise, and giving her occasionally a drive.  She never liked the bar shoes, and I was glad when I could discontinue them, which I did in the fourth month.  When shod with the usual shoes the complete success of the treatment was shown.  I have now had her going with the ordinary shoes for the past two or three months, and the improvement in the shape of the feet is very marked; there is no lameness; the mare is free in movement, fast, and spirited, whereas previously she was quite the reverse, and almost unfit to drive.’[A]

[Footnote A:  W.S.  Adams, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Journal, vol. xxx., p. 19.]

This method, though but recently introduced to the English veterinary surgeon, is by no means new.  According to Zundel, it was recently made known on the Continent by Weber, but was previously known and mentioned by Lagueriniere, Brognier, and Hurtrel d’Arboval.