Right fore-hoof of the regular position: a, side wall; b, quarter; c, beginning of the bar; d, buttress; e, middle of the bar; f, body of the sole; f′, branches of sole; g, white line; g′, apparent end of the bar; h, body of the frog; i, branch of the frog; k, bulbs (glomes) of the heel; l, middle cleft of frog; m, lateral cleft of frog.
A hoof of the base-wide position ([Fig. 80]) is always awry, because the outer wall is naturally somewhat longer and decidedly more slanting then the inner ([see Figs. 63] and [64]). The plantar border of the outer wall describes a large arc, whose sharpest curvature is where the side wall passes into the quarter. The plantar border of the inner wall is straighter (less curved); the outer half of the ground-surface (sole) of the hoof is, therefore, wider than the inner. So long as the hoof is healthy, both branches of the frog are equally developed. The wryness of the hoof depends upon the direction of the limb; therefore, a base-wide hoof should be regarded as a normally wry hoof, to distinguish it from hoofs which are wry from disease.
A hoof of the toe-wide position ([Fig. 81]) is distinguished from the preceding by the bending or curvature of the plantar border of the outer toe and inner quarter being often decidedly less pronounced than on the inner toe and outer quarter; therefore, two short curves and two long curves lie opposite each other; in other words, the inner toe and outer quarter, lying opposite each other, are sharply curved, while the outer toe and inner quarter, lying opposite each other, are much less sharply bent or curved. The toes are turned out. The feet are not set down flat upon the ground, but meet it with the outer toe.
Fig. 80.
Right fore-hoof of the
base-wide position.
Fig. 81.
Right fore-hoof of the
toe-wide position.