28 



SHOEING. 



carry out in its ground surface, as nearly as possible, the form of the 



wall before it was cut away. It is a rule, recognized by the best 



authorities, that the sole should not 



rest upon the shoe, except around 



the toe where the outer edge is 



left full and natural. But if the 



wall is cut down close, and the sole 



rather thin (which, as explained 



before, in no case should be done 



except for pathological reasons), it 



is advisable, if it comes too near 



the iron, to lower the part coming 



under it. As a rule, the bearing 



surface should be level, and the 



ground surface concave, or the in- 

 ner edge of the ground surface so 



beveled off that it will not harbor 



stones and dirt, and be so stiff that 



it will not bend. 



As before stated, if the horse is 



expected to be driven only oc- 

 casionally, and upon common dirt 



roads, the wear will be but little, and the shoes should be corre- 

 spondingly light ; but if much 

 travel is required, on stony or 

 macadamized roads, the weight 

 should be sufficient to sustain 

 such wear. The addition of a 

 small bit of steel, hammered 

 well into the toe, and tempered, 

 would add greatly to its dur- 

 ability. It would be much 

 better to make them wholly of 

 steel, as they would be very 

 much lighter, equally stiff, and 

 less liable to bend. 



In a condition of health, 

 from a light family driver to 

 the heavy draught horse, the 



„ , _ . . principle of shoeing is the 



Fig. 456.— Fool too Long. ^ ^, . , . ,*^ 



same ; the size, thickness, and 



weight only differing so as to adapt to each case, with the difference 



Fig. 455.— Too Short. 



