Horseshoeing. 



293 



parent, showing the portions of the foot that are covered and pro- 

 tected by it, A the crust, B the bars, and C the heels ; it will be 

 seen, moreover, how bringing 

 in the heels diminishes the 

 opening of the shoe and les- 

 sens the chance of stones in 

 the road bruising the frog ; 

 one side or other of the shoe 

 would alight upon them and 

 save the frog. I may observe 

 in passing, that corns have 

 never failed to disappear 

 under this mode of shoeing ; 

 they are always the conse- 

 quence of bad shoeing, and 

 good shoeing always removes 

 them. I could not keep a 

 corn in my stable, if I desired 

 it ever so much, unless I 

 altered my plan of shoeing. 

 A large number of flat-footed 

 horses cannot go safely at any time without some protection over 

 the sole, and all horses would be benefited by it when the roads 

 are strewed with loose stones ; but it is a mistake to suppose 

 that leather, or any substitute for it, inserted between the shoe 

 and foot, calls for a greater amount of fastening than five nails ; 

 they will retain a shoe, with leatlier under it, as firmly as if 

 the leather were not there : all that is required is, to make 

 the leather fit the shoe as accurately as I desire the shoe to 

 fit the foot, and that no projecting portions be left either be- 

 hind or at the sides of the heels, and instead of the leather 

 being cut square at the heels, I would have it slightly arched 

 inwards from heel to heel. It is necessary however to pre- 

 pare the foot, before the leather is put on, and the best way of 

 doing it is to smear the whole lower surface of the foot and frog 

 with common tar ; gas-tar must be especially avoided, as it dries 

 and hardens the horn, instead of keeping it moist and promoting 

 its growth, as common tar does ; then the hollow on each side 

 between the frog and the crust, from the point of the frog back to 

 the heels, should be filled with oakum dipped in tar, and pressed 

 down until the mass rises somewhat above the level of the frog on 

 each side, and gives it the appearance of being sunk in a hollow. 

 A small portion of oakum may be spread over the sole in front 

 of the frog, but none must be put on the frog itself excepting the 

 bit in the cleft, which is necessary to prevent dirt working in from 



VOL. XVIII. X 



