106 SHOEING. 



the small oblong heads of the nails, which are to 

 be driven in even with the shoe ; and this groove 

 is well away from the edge of the shoe, so that 

 the nails shall be driven nearly as far in as where 

 the crust and sole join — " just between wind and 

 water" — and brought out about three quarters of 

 an inch high up in the hoof. From the nail- 

 holes on the inside, it is scooped out, beaten out, 

 beveled off, or filed away, to admit of a pricker 

 being passed under to clear out all sand and gra- 

 vel, and so that it shall not press on the sole. 

 The inch at the heel that is not beveled off is to 

 rest where the bar and crust join, not quite touch- 

 ing the frog. There are six nail-holes, three on 

 each side ; and the nail-holes are to be punched 

 with the Nolband's common punch, firstly on the 

 inside, lastly on the outside ; by which means 

 they get a slanting direction outwards, and there 

 will be no danger of the foot being pricked. 

 These nail-holes must be punched while the shoe 

 is hot, -or the iron, which is rarely of the best 

 quality, will split. Always see that the nails fit 

 the holes before you put the shoe on ; for if the 

 heads of the nails are not small enough to go 

 into the groove, or the groove not large enough 

 to receive them, they will l)e broken, and the shoe 

 come off. 



A horse with straight pasterns, on a very hoi- 



