MANUAL FOR ARMY HORSESHOERS. 75 



by long marches or by drawing or carrying heavy loads. Improper 

 preparation: Toe left too long. Improir^r shoeing: Shoes too heavy 

 or fitted too full at the toe. Laziness, particularly when going down 

 hill, rough ground, and poor horsemanship. 



Remedies. —The bearing surface of the foot must be leveled, the 

 toe shortened, the shoe made light in weight and thoroughly rolled 

 at tlie toe, and the thickness of the heels of the shoe slightly in- 

 creased. This shoe induces more rapid breaking over. The full 

 roller-motion shoe (PI. XIX, fig. 3) is frequently of value in the 

 prevention of stumbling, because it not only causes a rapid breaking 

 over o'f the feet but produces higher action. 



In cases of stumbling where calks are necessary to prevent slipping, 

 use heel calks and short quarter calks welded on web of shoe between 

 first and second nail holes. 



IXTERFERIXG. 



69. A horse interferes (strikes') when he is in motion by striking 

 any part of a limb with the opposite corresponding foot. Since this 

 fault leaves evidence by rubbing off the hair and even breaking the 

 skin, it is an easy matter to determine whether one or both feet 

 need correction. 



Causes. — Poor conformation; fatigue; faulty or neglected shoeing. 



Horses with good conformation and straight, upright limbs will 

 not interfere if properly shod. Those that toe out generally strike, 

 because the clearance space between the limbs is reduced, while 

 those that toe in usually travel wide. Straight-limbed horses 

 with narrow chests also have a tendency to interfere. In order 

 to correct interfering, the sheer should study carefully the shoeing, 

 the conformation, and the gait of the horse. The first step is to de- 

 termine the exact part of .the hoof that strikes. This may be readily 

 learned by chalking the inside of the wail and trotting the animal 

 slowly. The chalk will be rubbed off from the exact point of con- 

 tact with the opposite leg. 



Inspect the shoeing for projecting clinches or ragged edges of 

 the hoof, due to neglect. If the shoeing is of recent date,_ note 

 if the shoe is too full. Then inspect the fOot and see if the inside 

 is too low or the outside is too high (l)roken in). This fault bends 

 the leg inward at the fetlock joint" starts the foot on a curve instead 

 of a straight path, and thus lessens the clearance space between 

 the leofs. 



