MANTJAL FOR ARMY HORSESHOERS. 57 



the bulb of the frog, and the thickness of metal is made sufficient 

 to wear about one month. 



The ground surface of the shoe should be level. That portion 

 of the upper surface which presses against the bearing surface of the 

 foot must be level, smooth, and accurately shaped to support it, 

 and when the upper shoe surface is wider than the bearing surface 

 the inner edge must be concaved to avoid excessive sole pressure. This 

 is one of the most important requisites of correct horseshoeing. 

 Care must be taken only to concave enough to remove sole pressure. 

 Do not leave too much space between the shoe and sole, for this 

 allows small pebbles, grit, and dirt to collect, which allows sole 

 pressure at small points, which is very harmful. Concussion of the 

 sole against the inner edge of the upper shoe surface invaria])ly 

 produces soreness. The outer edge of the upper surface should be 

 slightly rounded. This adds to the appearance, produces a better 

 fitting shoe, and to a marked degree prevents cutting if the horse 

 travels close. The width of the crease of the shoe should be uniform, 

 and its depth about two-thirds of the thickness of the shoe. The 

 crease makes the shoe lighter in proportion to its width and is an 

 aid to prevent slipping. Nail holes should be punched to fall over 

 the outer edge of the white line. 



Clips are semicircular ears drawn upward from the outer edge of 

 the shoe to prevent its slipping. A clip extends above the upper 

 surface a distance equal to the thickness of the shoe, or sometimes 

 farther on hind shoes. When leather is interposed between the shoe 

 and the bearing surface, the clip must be correspondingly raised. 

 Toe and side clips assist the nails in holding the shoe in place. 



NORMAL SHOES. 



49. By a normal shoe is meant a shoe for a sound foot of a horse 

 with proper gaits. The service shoe (PL XVII, fig. 1) is, of course, 

 a normal shoe. 



In the mounted service four sizes of machine-made shoes are 

 issued. It will be noted that the heels are much longer than neces- 

 sary, but they are manufactured in this manner so that the extra 

 length can be used in turning heel calks or -in making a bar shoe. 

 It often happens that a larger size is required for the front than for 

 the hind foot of the same horse. 



Three other shoes belong to this class: 



The calked shoe (fig. 2) is used to enable the horse to secure firm 

 footing on slippery or ice-covered roads. Its use must be confined 



