THE SHOEING OF HORSES. 3 1 



horse, when shod, may be said to stand upon a tripod, viz., a caulk 

 to each heel of the shoe, and a strong toe-piece attached to the 

 front part of the shoe, similar, in fact, in every respect, to what 

 is represented in Plate IX. Throughout Lancashire and York- 

 shire this is the only form of shoe in use for draught horses. 

 Many attempts have been made from time to time to introduce 

 the South of England shoe into Manchester, but without avail ; 

 experience has proved, over and over again, that the best form of 

 shoe for heavy draught horses is the one figured at Plate IX. 



The strong piece of iron (the toe-piece) welded across the 

 toe of the shoe, enables the animal, when moving a heavy load, to 

 press the earth with immense force. The necessity for the toe- 

 piece creates the necessity for the caulks ; a lighter form of shoe 

 might break or bend to the force applied, or the nails might be 

 wrenched from the foot, and the wall torn away. The great exer- 

 tion required also necessitates great width across the shoe ; this is 

 usually done by making the outside heel of the shoe of greater 

 length than the inner heel and also by bending the outside heel in 

 an outward direction, or what is commonly called " donkeying the 

 heel." More than ordinary care should be exercised by the farrier 

 in giving a broad level seat to this form of shoe. It is a common 

 practice to bevel the foot surface of these large shoes from the 

 outer to the inner rim of the web ; the consequence is, that the 

 feet of draught horses speedily become pumiced, — not one aged 

 draught horse in fifty having naturally flat soles, but will be found 

 with more or less descent of the sole, from the gradual operation 

 of the cause in question. 



A set of shoes for the largest sized draught horse, a horse 



