THE FORM AND MANUFACTURE OF SHOES G61 



Here, again, I shall insert Mr. Spooner's admirable description of the shoe 

 recommended by him for this purpose : " For hunting, the shoe must be 

 narrower than for the road, and an additional nail may be placed on the 

 inside ; no evil will result from this, because in the field the pressure on the 

 crust is in a great degree relieved by the sole and frog. There must be 

 space for a piece of paper to pass between the foot and inner rim of the 

 shoe, but no more, as the foot can then be withdrawn from heavy soil with 



Fio. 120. — Hunting Shoe for Off Fore-foot, concave on the Ground Side. 

 A. Couoavity made to give foothold and lighten the shoe. 



less difficulty than when the usual space is permitted. To avoid overreach- 

 ing, the heels of the fore-shoe should scarcely project beyond the heels of the 

 crust" (they should not at all), "and they should be rounded off, instead of 

 being left square, as is usually the case. The hind-shoes should also, when 

 there is any disposition to overreach, be square at the toe, set a little within 

 the crust ; and the inner rim at the toe should have a piece cut out, so that, 

 instead of a sharp edge, there should be a rounded surface, which, of course, 

 is not so likely to catch the heels of the fore-feet." It will be seen that 

 this description tallies very closely with that wliich I have given above, the 

 only point of difference being the external concavity of the web, which I 

 believe to be of great importance in procuring a secure foothold. It also 

 allows the foot to be pulled out of wet clay far more easily than the flat 

 web ; and there is a reduction of useless weight, as the hunting shoe does 

 not wear out, except with those riders who keep to the roads, and they of 

 course should have a road shoe. 



2. The French shoe differs from the English form in both its surfaces, 

 that which comes in contact with the foot being concave, while the other 

 is convex. To make it fit the foot, the toe and heels of the latter must be 

 pared away and made to fit the shoe, as here represented. The web is very 



