STOD BOOK. 133 



when this angle is pared out; and yet, from some fatality, the 

 smith rarely leaves it where nature placed it, but cuts away 

 every portion of it. 



The true function of the frog is easily understood; it 

 gives security to the tread, and permits the expansion of the 

 heels; but the smith, although these cases come before him 

 every day, seems to be quite unaware of the course which he 

 should pursue, and either leaves the frog almost un- 

 touched, and then it becomes bruised and injured, or he 

 pares it away, so that it cannot come into contact with 

 the ground, and consequently is not enabled to do its duty. 



The owner of the horse will therefore find it his interest 

 occasionally to visit the forge, and, guided by the simple 

 principles which have been stated, he will seldom err in his 

 opinion of what is going forward there. He should impress 

 two principles deeply on his mind: that a great deal more 

 depends on the paring out of the foot than in the construc- 

 tion of the shoe; and that few shoes, except they press upon 

 the sole, or are made shamefully bad, will lame ( the horse, but 

 that he may be very easily lamed by an ignorant or improper 

 paring out of the foot. 



Where the owner of the horse has sufficient influence 

 with the smith, he will find it advisable always to have a 

 few sets of shoes ready made. Much time will be saved, in 

 case of accident, and there will not be, as is too often the 

 case, the cutting, paring, and injuring of the foot, in order to 

 make it fit the shoe. More injury than would be readily be- 

 lieved is done to the foot by contriving to get on it too small 

 a shoe. 



Clips 



are often necessary, in order more securely to fasten the 

 shoe. They are little portions of the upper edge of the shoa 

 hammered out, and turned up on the crust, and fitted in a 

 little depression made in the crust. They prevent the shoe 

 from being loosened or torn offj both in rapid action and 

 heavy draught, and are therefore used on all heavy, and on 

 many light horses. They are sometimes placed on the side 

 of the shoe, and at the beginning of the quarters, and on all 

 horses that are accustomed to paw violently with their feet. 

 Necessity alone, however, will justiiy their use. 



The Calkin 



is a prolongation and turning down of the shoe at the heel, 



