148 " MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



weight not to reach over the center of the shoe, but to 

 be only on one side. Put the shoe on with the weight 

 on the outer side. If the horse still interferes, give 

 more side weight to the shoe, and make the heel on the 

 outer side about one and one-quarter inch longer than 

 the inside heel; give it an outward turn. This heel 

 will prevent the horse from turning the heel in the 

 way of the way of the other foot when it goes by, so 

 as not to strike the fetlock. 



Properly made and applied, side weight will stop 

 interfering almost every time. If the side weight is 

 heavy enough it will throw the foot out, and the 

 trouble is overcome. 



There are only a few horse-shoers that have any 

 practical experience in making side - weight shoes, 

 which we understand from the articles in our trade 

 journals. 



Some horse-shoers in shoeing to stop interfering will 

 make common shoes shorter than they ought to be and 

 set them far in under the foot, so that the hoof on the 

 inner side will stick out over the shoe a quarter of an 

 inch. These they don't rasp off, and everybody knows 

 that the hoof adheres to and rubs harder against the 

 leg than the hard smooth shoe. But, foolish as it is, 

 such shoers stick to their foolish ideas. I call all such 

 fads faith cures. • 



The rule is to have the side weight on the outer side, 

 while the exception is to have the side weight on the 

 inner side of the foot. For old and poor horses ground 

 feed and rest is better than any kind of shoes. It will 

 give more strength and more flesh to spread the legs. 



