DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOES. 317 



CLIPS. 



These are portions of the upper edge of the shoe, hammered out, and 

 turned up so as to embrace the lower part of the crust, and which is usually 

 pared out a little to receive the clip. They are very useful, as more securely 

 attaching the shoe to the foot, and relieving the crust from that stress upon 

 the nails which would otherwise be injurious. A clip at the toe is almost 

 necessary in every draught-horse, and absolutely so in the horse of heavy 

 draught, to prevent the shoe from being loosened or torn off by the stress 

 which is thrown upon the toe in the act of drawing. A clip on the outside 

 of each shoe at the beginning of the quarters will give security to it. 

 Clips are likewise necessary on the shoes of all heavy horses, and of all 

 others that are disposed to stamp, or violently paw with their feet, and thus 

 incur the danger of displacing the shoe ; but they are evils, in that they 

 press upon the crust as it grows down, and should only be used when cir- 

 cumstances absolutely require them. 



THE HINDER SHOE, 



In forming the lilnder shoes, it should be remembered that the hind limbs 

 are the principal instruments in progression, and that in every act of pro- 

 gression, except the walk, the toe is the point on which the whole frame of 

 the animal turns, and from which it is propelled. This part, then, should 

 be strengthened as much as possible ; and, therefore, the hinder shoes are 

 made broader at the toe than the fore ones, and the toe of the foot, which is 

 riaturally broader than that of the fore- foot, is still further widened by 

 rasping. Another good effect is produced by this, that the hinder foot being 

 shortened, there is less danger of over-reaching or forging, and especially if 

 the shoe be wider on the foot surface than on the ground one; and thus the 

 shoe is made to slope inward, and is a little within the toe of the crust. 



The shape of the hinder foot is somewhat different from that of the fore- 

 foot; it is sti'aighter in the quarters, and the shoe must have the same 

 shape. For carriage and draught-horses generally, calkins may be put on 

 the heels, because the animal will thus be enabled to dig his toe more firmly 

 into the ground, and urge himself forward, and throw his weight into the 

 collar with greater advantage. But the calkins must no be too high, and 

 they must be of an equal height on each heel ; otherwise, as has been 

 stated with regard to the fore-feet, the weight will not be fairly distributed 

 over the foot, and some part of the foot or of the leg will materially suffer. 

 The nails in the hinder shoe may be placed nearer to the heel than in the 

 fore shoe, because, from the comparative little weight and concussion 

 thrown on the hinder feet, there is not so much danger of contraction. 



DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOES. 



The shoe will vary in substance and weight with the kind of foot, and 

 the nature of the work. A weak foot should never wear a heavy shoe, nor 

 any foot a shoe that will last longer than a month. Here, perhaps, we may 

 be permitted to caution the horse-proprietor against having his cattle shod 

 too much by contract, unless he binds down his farrier or surgeon to remove 

 the shoes once at least in every month; for if the contractor, by a heavy 

 shoe, and a little steel, can cause five or six weeks to intervene between 

 the shoeings, he will do so, although the feet of the horse must necessarily 

 suffer The shoe should never be heavier than the work requires. An 



