HORSE AND OX SHOEING. 297 



and yet do them so well; proving that should there he a 

 division of labor here, as there is in the old country, we 

 should, perhaps, be able in a short time to outstrip their very 

 best workmen. 



But to become good horse shoers, we must learn the anat- 

 omy of the foot of the horse. Few smiths understand its 

 structure or the laws that govern its health, and the violation 

 of which sooner or later produces sad consequences. I will 

 here mention a very common error among our smiths, and 

 that is, the neglecting to dress down the sole of the foot at 

 shoeing. The wall or rim, which is about three-eighths of an 

 inch in thickness, and extends all around the outside of the 

 hoof, is pared down without stint, while the bottom or sole 

 is left untouched, or if pared at all, it is done in a bungling 

 manner. The foot of the horse in a wild or unshod state, 

 is constantly dressed or scoured on the bottom. Though 

 the rim receives most of the weight, (as may be noticed in 

 the print of the colt's track before being shod,) yet the sole 

 and frog are subjected to a continual wear, and for this 

 wear nature makes provision. Now when the animal is shod, 

 this dressing of the sole in the natural way ceases; and 

 not only so, but foul substances collect and are retained 

 there by the shoe, producing a rotten appearance under and 

 around the web of the shoe. And when the shoe is suffered 

 to remain on for a long time, — especially in warm weather, — 

 maggots have sometimes been bred, which have penetrated 

 the tender portions of the frog, and nearly destroyed its 

 health and vigor. In such cases, remove the shoe, and turn 

 the horse out to pasture, and these excrescences will dis- 

 appear. 



Just so long as the horse is shod, must a judicious paring 

 of the sole and the corners of the frog, near where the shoe 

 comes in contact with it, be kept up. This can best be done 

 by an English shave, the end of which is shaped like an iron 

 used at saw mills to mark the measure of boards. With this, 

 only a few moments is needed to give a thorough scraping, 

 but if the shovel-shaped buttress is used, unless great care 

 is exercised, it will not only penetrate through the sole in 

 some places, but leave others entirely neglected. If the shoe 

 be properly made, not too thick at the heel, the frog will need 



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