DIRECTIONS FOR SHOEJNG HORSES. 543 



to shoe at the heels according to the nature of the ground and the work 

 to be done. On deep ploughed lands it is found advantageous to make 

 the shoes longer and wider at the heels, in order to prevent the feet 

 from sinking deep into the ground. 



12. " Dumping." It is the common practice of incompetent and 

 careless Shoers to put on a shoe smaller than the crust, and then in order 

 to make an apparent fit, to rasp the outside of the crust down to the 

 shoe. This serious fault is commonly called " Dumping," and is most 

 injurious. It is wrong to rasp the outside of the crust, as this hurtful 

 practice produces two evils. 1st. The outer and strongest horn-fibres 

 are destroyed ; and 2nd The gluey superficial layer which covers the 

 outside of the crust is destroyed, and then the natural moisture of the 

 horn, which is essential to toughness, escapes, and the horn itself be- 

 comes brittle and unsound. This and " Dumping " are the very greatest 

 causes of brittle and broken feet. 



13. The width. of the shoe should vary according to the breed of the 

 horse. For light horses, f inch is sufficient, if the shoe really fits and 

 the crust is sound. One inch is the width in common use. For Heavy 

 horses the width must be increased to 1J or 2 inches. Flat feet require 

 wider shoes, i. e. more cover than natural and upright feet. 



14. Weight of Shoes. For light horses, 14 or 16 oz. will, in general, 

 be sufficient. But some horses wear their shoes more than others ; and, 

 again, the material used on the roads makes a difference, often a great 

 difference, and much will also depend on the amount of work. For 

 heavy horses, 1J Ibs. to 2i Ibs., or even more is common. 



15. Duration of Shoes. One month is a fair average time, but the 

 amount of work, and material used on the roads, affect the wear. 



16. Removal of Shoes. Whether Shoes are worn out or not worn 

 out, they should be removed at the end of a month and refitted. The 

 growth of the horn renders this necessary. See Note 6 (par. 5). 



17. Shoes. " Countersunk " shoes are better than fullered, as they 

 are stronger, and the nails get a better hold. 



18. -Nails. Countersunk nails should be used. They get a better 

 hold than those rose-headed nails. Nail heads should not project below 

 the shoe, as friction with the ground will soon wear off the heads, and 

 then the nails lose their holding power. 



19. Nailing. For nag and carriage horses, with fairly good feet, the 

 nails should be brought out about one inch on the crust. If the feet are 

 all flat, they should be brought out somewhat lower. For cart horses, 

 whose feet are larger and generally flatter than in better bred horses, 

 1 inch would be a fair average height. But regard must be had to the 

 state of the feet. Nails get a better hold when high, but as serious evils 

 result from too high nailing, it is safer to err on the side of too low 

 rather than too high. 



20. Five or six nails are sufficient for light horses. Seven or eight, 

 and sometimes more, are used for heavy horses. 



21. Position of Nails. The front nail on each side should be in 

 the anterior portion of the quarter, aiid the remaining nails should 



