152 MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



coronet and quarters, and turn the horse out in a wet 

 pasture. But if the horse must be used on the road, 

 proceed to shoe as follows: First, ascertain if the frog- 

 is hard or soft. If soft, put on a bar shoe with open 

 bar. I have invented a shoe for this purpose. See 

 Figure 2, No. i. The idea of shoeing with an endless 

 bar shoe is wrong. In most cases contraction is 

 brought on by letting the shoes stay on too long, 

 whereby the hoof has been compelled to grow down 



with the shape of the shoe. If an open shoe has 

 helped to bring on contraction, much more so will a 

 bar shoe, which will tie the hoof to the shoe with no 

 chance of spreading, no matter what frog pressure is 

 put on. Make the shoe as light as you can, with very 

 low or no calks; let the bar rest against the frog; keep 

 the hoofs moist with hoof ointment ; use an open bar 

 shoe. 



Make a low box and fill it with wet manure, mud or 

 clay, and let the horse stand in it when convenient, to 

 soften the hoofs. Spread the shoe a little every week 

 to help the hoofs out, or the shoes will prevent what 



