MODERN BLACKSMITHING 153 



the frog pressure aims to do, but this spreading mast 

 be done with care. If the frog is dried up and hard, 

 don't put on a bar shoe, as it will do more harm than 

 good. In such a case make a common shoe with low 

 or no calks; make holes in it as far back as you can 

 nail ; spread them with care a little every week. Let 

 the horse stand in a box with mud or manure, even 

 warm water, for a few hours at a time, and keep the 

 hoofs moist with hoof ointment. In either case do not 

 let the shoe stay on longer than four weeks at a time. 

 In addition to the above pack the feet with some wet 

 packing, or a sponge can be applied to the feet and 

 held in position by some of the many inventions for 

 this purpose. 



No man can comprehend how much a horse suffers 

 from contraction when his feet are hoof -bound and 

 pressed together as if they were in a vise. The pain 

 from a pair of hard and tight boots on a man are noth- 

 ing compared to the agony endured by this noble and 

 silent sufferer. It must be remembered that there is 

 no such a thing as shoeing for contraction. Contrac- 

 tion is brought on by artificial living and shoeing. A 

 bar shoe for contraction is the most foolish thing to 

 imagine. The pressure intended on the frog is a dead 

 pressure, and in a few days it will settle itself so that 

 there is no pressure at all. If a bar shoe is to be used 

 it must be an open bar shoe like the one referred to. 

 This shoe will give a live pressure, and if inade of 

 steel will spring up against the frog at every step and 

 it can be spread. I will say, however, that I don't 

 recommend spreading, for it will part if not done with 



