HORSK-SHOEING. 113 



The liind-foot expands less tliau the fore-foot ; still 

 jou should place the nail-holes so as not to confine 

 the foot. Three nails on each side are generally 

 found sufficient to hold a hind-shoe firmly to the foot. 

 The holes on the inside should be stamped closer 

 together than those on the outside, and they should 

 be placed forward toward the toe, so as to leave the 

 inside quarter and heel free to expand. A small foot 

 may be shod with three nails on the ontside and two 

 on the inside ; but no foot can ever require more than 

 seven altogether. 



Figs. 1 and 2, plate 23, show a near hind-shoe, 

 when the foot is so large as to require seven nail- 

 holes. 



Removing. • 



The time at which a horse's shoes should be re- 

 moved must depend very much upon circumstances. 

 If a horse wears his shoes out in less than a month, 

 they had better not be removed ; and horses with 

 thin, weak horn, which grows slowly, are likewise 

 better left alone between each shoeing, unless their 

 shoes last six or seven weeks, in which case they should 

 be removed once within the time : but horses with 

 strong feet and plenty of horn, that wear their shoes 

 a full month, should have them removed at the end 

 of the first fortnight ; and when horses are doing so 

 little work, or wear their shoes so lightly that they 

 last two months, they should be removed every fort- 



