MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



143 



FORGING 



Forg-ing or overreaching is a bad habit, and a horse 

 with this fault is now very valuable. This habit can 

 be overcome by shoeing; but it will not be done by 

 making the shoes short on the heel in front and short 

 in the toe behind. Never try this foolish method. 



"To overcome forging the shoer should know what 

 forging is. It is this: The horse breaks over with his 



hind feet quicker than he breaks over with the front 

 feet; in other words, he has more action behind than 

 in front, and the result is that the hind feet strike the 

 front feet before they can get out of the way, often 

 cutting the quarters badly, giving rise to quarter cracks 

 and horny patches over the heel. 



Some writers make a difference between forging and 

 overreaching, but the cause of the trouble is the same 

 — too much action behind in proportion to the front; 

 and the remedy is the same — retard the action behind, 



