252 THE HORSE 



his reward ; while unskilful and self-opinionated men 

 soon give up trying to perform what is not within their 

 province, and if they do not do so on their own account 

 their customers will very soon afford them no opportunity 

 of practising on the horses in their studs. 



The rules which are important, and really must be 

 attended to, are but few and simple — but unless strictly 

 adhered to the horse is sure to go lame, sooner or later. 



Eule 1. Cutting the groove. Great care must be taken 

 to obtain a level surface. 



Eule 2. At the junction of the wall and the sole a well- 

 defined "corner" must be left. 



Rule 3. The inner portion of the shoe at the toe must 

 have its sharp edge taken off, for about three inches. 



Rule 4. The shoe must fit the groove accurately. 



A 

 A. Groove. X. Sharp edge taken off. 



It has previously been stated that the tough outer fibres 

 of the crust are but half an inch in thickness, while the 

 soft, cheese-like substance of the inner fibres extends 

 inwards for another quarter of an inch. Into this latter 

 region the shoe must not trespass, so the width of the shoe 

 must not exceed half an inch. The groove should not be 

 cut too deep, for there is no great amount of material 

 between the inner edge of the shoe and the sensitive portion 

 of the foot. Twice it has happened in the writer's expe- 

 rience that, in the anxiety to get the shoe level with the 

 sole, the smith has cut the groove just a little too deep, 

 and though no accident was apparent at the time in each 

 case the horse quickly went lame. On removing the shoe 

 the sole was found to have cracked all round the " corner," 

 and in one instance the sole came completely off, leaving the 

 sensitive portion as bare as the pahn of one's hand. After 



