392 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



quick ; and often cutting it so thin that it will not hold the 

 nails firmly, besides rendering the unprotected part of the 

 foot liable to be punctured, and exposing the sole to pres- 

 sure which may occasion lameness, and that too of a per- 

 manent character. 



A properly constructed shoe should have the web of equal 

 thickness from toe to heel. When thinner at the heel than 

 the toe, it permits the heel to sink too much, which has a 

 tendency to induce sprain of the flexor tendon ; and when 

 the shoe is thicker at the back than the front, it elevates 

 the frog too much, is sure to promote disease, and will impair 

 its function, and is certain to bruise the toe, which from its 

 naturally exposed position is more liable to injury than 



other parts. 



Every possessor of a horse should be well acquainted 

 with the different kinds of shoes noAv in general use, and 

 have such a knowledge of the varied form of hoofs as to 

 enable him to judge the particular kind best adapted to the 

 shape of the foot of his own horse. Country smiths pay too 

 little attention to this point, and with a predilection for one 

 form, apply it to whatever shaped hoof they may meet with. 



In a state of nature the hoof of a horse is admirably 

 adapted to give security to its steps ; but when the foot is 

 shod, the weight and bearings of the whole limb, or, more 

 strictly speaking, of the entire animal, are changed. It 

 therefore becomes a matter of much importance to investi- 

 gate what form of shoe is best calculated for this altered 

 condition, and which will produce the least mischief to the 

 feet ; for the best of shoeing must ever continue to be a 

 source of diseases and inconvenience to the horse. And 

 any one who strictly investigates the structure of the foot, 

 with its numerous modifications of shape, will soon perceive 

 that no universal form will be suitable for all feet. 



