PREPARATION OF THE FOOT FOR SHOEING 363 



becomes so hard and thick that it is removed with 

 very great difficulty, in which case it becomes necessary 

 to soften it by heat. This is effected by means of a 

 flat iron heated, and drawn over the sole, and even 

 kept close to it for a little time. If the sole is thick, 

 no injury will be sustained from it, and, on the con- 

 trary, it will render the paring more easy and less 

 disagreeable to the horse ; but if the desquamating 

 portions of the sole has been regularly pared out 

 during shoeing, this must not be permitted. The 

 quantity of paring necessarily varies, according to the 

 formation and condition of the foot, but as a rule little 

 horn requires to be removed by the drawing knife 

 from the soles of perfectly healthy feet, for as the horn 

 of the hoof grows in lairs it is more or less shed. The 

 foot which is pumiced should only have the ragged 

 parts cut away ; when the foot is flat, no paring is 

 needed. Care must always be taken that the crust is 

 not reduced to a level with the sole, as this would per- 

 mit the sole to press upon the edge of the seating, and 

 thereby be bruised and injured. The entire circum- 

 ference of the crust should be perfectly level, but pro- 

 jecting a little beyond the sole. 



We must now direct particular attention to the 

 heels. More stress is thrown on the inner heel than 

 on the outer, and, from natural weakness of the 

 quarter there, it generally wears quicker than the 

 outer one. This being the case, less horn must be 

 pared from it than from the outer, as taking the same 

 quantity of horn from it would leave it lower than the 

 other, whereas they should be perfectly on a level. 



Almost all smiths have a fancy for opening the 

 heels, from the idea that it does good by rendering the 

 foot neater, which is a complete fallacy, as they ought 

 seldom or never to be touched ; for, as we have 



