366 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 



importance to investigate what form of shoe is best 

 calculated for this altered condition, and which will 

 produce the least mischief to the feet ; for the best of 

 shoeing must ever continue to be a source of diseases 

 and inconvenience to the horse. And any one who 

 strictly investigates the structure of the foot, with its 

 numerous modifications of shape, will soon perceive 

 that no universal form will be suitable for all feet. 



Some parsimonious individuals contract with their 

 smiths to supply shoes at a certain sum per annum. 

 From what we have said in this, as well as other 

 parts of the work, it will easily be seen how absurd 

 such a practice is ; because the smith will, in nine 

 cases out of ten, put heavy shoes on the horse to 

 save the labour of repeated shoeing ; nor will he think 

 of removing the shoes at stated intervals, as we have 

 already recommended. 



THE CONCAVE-SEATED SHOE. 



Considerable difficulty has been experienced in 

 having enough of room to pass a picker between the 

 foot-surface of the patent-safety shoe and the sole of 

 the foot, more especially where soles are flat, with an 

 inclination to convexity. The consequence has been, 

 the soles of such feet in some cases have been pinched 

 by the pressure of the shoe, although this shoe is not 

 more difficult to fit than any other. To obviate this 

 supposed difficulty, and to meet the views of those 

 who think it desirable, a concave-seated shoe has been 

 invented, concave to the ground, and seated on the 

 foot surface. 



This shoe presents a perfectly level surface to the 

 ground, so as to give as many points of bearing as 

 possible. There is a groove round the outer edge, in 



