INJURIES FROM SHOEING 



455 



connected sole, is unable to sustain its share of weight. In cases of 

 " seedy-toe" this must be remembered. Where a " sand-crack " exists, 

 pressure should be removed from the wall. If the sand-crack be at the 

 toe a good plan is to draw two clips on the shoe, one on each side of 

 the crack, and then to lower the wall between the clips so that it has 

 no contact with the shoe. With a sand-crack at the toe the heels should 



F15, bi'J — Saud Ci ick, bhowing Method uf Paring tlic Crust 

 a, Benring relieved at wrong place by "springing" the heel. li. Horn removed to prevent pressure 



be kept low and no calkins used, as the higher the heel is raised the more 

 pressure is thrown upon the front portion of the foot. When a crack 

 exists at the quarters the wall just under the crack must be removed from 

 bearing, but it is of the greatest importance that the heel of the shoe 

 should have close contact with its horn behind the crack. 



"Cutting" or "Interfering" are the terms applied to the act 

 of striking the fetlock of one limb with the 

 shoe of the opposite limb. Every horse-owner 

 imagines such an accident to be the fault of 

 the fai'rier, and every farrier fencies he has 

 a system of preventing or curing such injury. 

 I must, of course, allow that the shoe inMicts 

 the blow, but I am quite convinced it is a 

 passive agent, and that in 95 per cent of 

 cases no fault of the shoe, either in form or 

 fit, can be shown to have occasioned the 

 injury. " Cutting" is practically confined to 

 young horses out of condition, or to old horses 

 suff'ering from debility. It may also take 

 place in tired horses. Of course, a shoe ex- 

 cessively prominent on its inside will facilitate injury to the opposite 

 fetlock, and it is therefore right to fit the shoe close with a view to 

 prevent or cure cutting. It is not right, however, in any case to rasp 

 away the whole of the wall on the inside toe, and such a proceeding 

 never yet stopped a horse from cutting. It requires about two mouths 

 to get a green horse sufliciently into condition to stop him hitting his 

 legs. During this time he should wear pads or " Yorkshire boots". His 



Pig. 650. — Shoe for Cutting, showing 

 Position on the Foot 



