282 Horseshoeing. 



together with the increased thickness of the crust itself at the 

 extremity of each heel, is evidently designed to keep the heels 

 apart, and prevent their pressing inconveniently on the structures 

 within the hoof; and if the substance of the horn be thinned by 

 paring the sides of it, it is clear that its power of resistance must 

 be diminished, the natural action of the foot damaged, and the 

 chance of contraction greatly increased. Many smiths, who are 

 merciless in paring the sides of the bars, which ought never to be 

 touched by a knife, waste much time and patience in preserving 

 the portion that projects beyond the surface of the sole, which 

 they had better have pared down nearly to a level with the sole, 

 as it only impedes the removal of the dead horn from the corner 

 of the sole at the heel, and would have been worn away, if the pre- 

 sence of the shoe had not prevented it. 



The frog may be said to consist of three portions, viz., the 

 horny frog, the sensitive frog, and a thick elastic cushion, which 

 is interposed between the sensitive frog and the navicular joint, 

 for the purpose of protecting this important little joint from 

 injury : the portion, however, with which we are now more im- 

 mediately concerned, as connected with the mechanical art of 

 shoeing, is the horny frog. 



No part of the foot shows the difference between good shoe- 

 ing and bad so soon, or so palpably, as the frog. The frog 

 of a foot that has been well shod for some time presents a 

 full, plump appearance, with an even surface and a broad oval 

 cleft, with a well-defined edge, not broken through at the back; 

 whereas a fi'og, that has been long subjected to bad treatment, 

 is shrunk and hard, with a ragged uneven surface and a nar- 

 row cleft broken through at tlie back, and extending up be- 

 tween the bulbs of the heels. The horn of the frog is thinner 

 and of a closer and more delicate texture than the Ijorn of the 

 hoof, and is evidently intended not only to protect the parts 

 immediately above it, but also to })revent the evaporation of the 

 moisture whicli keeps these parts in a soft, yielding condition ; 

 but it cuts so easily, and looks so clean and trim when its surface 

 is pared off, that very few smiths indeed can be prevailed on to 

 leave it alone, and not even cut off the rags ; nevertlieless they 

 had better do so, for those very rags which they think it desirable 

 to remove were caused by paring off the surface of the horn at 

 the last shoeing, whereby a part was lain bare that never was 

 intended to be exposed to the action of the air, and which in 

 consequence became dry and hard, and soon cracked, and the 

 edges having curled outwards formed the rags which are so 

 offensive to the eye of the smith ; and, if he should be tempted 

 to remove them, he will again lay the foundation of other cracks 

 and other rags, until at last the frog will have dwindled down by 



