104 The Diseases of Animals 



is necessary to shoe them so that they can get a grip that 

 will enable them to stand, or to pull loads. For this 

 purpose shoes with sharp calks are usually put on. For 

 horses that are used for rapid driving on asphalt paved 

 streets, a rubber-faced shoe or pads gives good results, 

 as it not only prevents slipping, but it lessens the jar upon 

 the foot. In winter, during icy weather, when horses 

 are not "sharp" but have on smooth "plates," or shoes 

 with the calks worn smooth, the horse can travel much 

 better on icy roads if the shoes are removed entirely, as 

 the horny hoof is less slippery than the smooth shoe. 

 There are upon the market several kinds of shoes that 

 have removable calks, so that in icy weather sharp 

 calks can be inserted without removing the shoe. 

 Such shoes give good service if they are looked after 

 and the calks are not allowed to remain so long that 

 they are difficult to remove. 



(3) It is often necessary with horses that are intended 

 for speed, or road work, to apply shoes of unusual pattern 

 or weight for the purpose of modifying their action in 

 some manner. Such shoes have to be made and set to 

 suit each individual case. In heavy draft horses extra 

 heavy shoes are sometimes put on the front feet to im- 

 part action to these members. Peculiar shoes are often 

 applied to the feet to suit abnormal or diseased condi- 

 tions; such an one is the high -heeled shoe used to give 

 relief in bone spavin. 



(4) "Tips" are sometimes used. They are thin steel 

 shoes applied to the toe and allowed to extend a short 

 distance on the inside and outside quarters (Fig. 26). 

 They are like an ordinary shoe, except that they come 



