194 



HORSEMANSHIP. 



will aid in explaining the salient points of the clever in- 

 vention. 



The materials of which this shoe is composed are the best 

 soft steel and indiarubber. Flat pieces of steel are worked 

 into a shell of the ordinary horse-shoe shape, by means of 

 powerful presses, the open portion of the shell being that 

 touching the ground. Out of the top surface (B), that meet- 

 ing the wall of the hoof, are punched five or any other 

 number of clips (C) which, when the shoe is finished, serve 

 by means of two small claws on each, to attach the shoe to 

 the foot. Objection having been taken to this punching, 



as tending to weaken the web of the shoe, this process has 

 been discontinued and another still more effective means of 

 furnishing the clips devised. Into the hollow of the shell 

 is forced a pad of indiarubber, the pressure being so great 

 that the whole becomes practically a homogeneous mass of 

 soft steel and indiarubber, the pad projecting slightly beyond 

 the ground surface of the shoe so as to minimise concussion 

 and jar, and to aid the frog in gripping a firm foothold on 

 slipper}' pavements. As the shoe can be bent with vice and 

 hammer without in any way disturbing the pad, there is no 

 difficulty in fitting the shoe to any foot, a strictly level bearing 



