DIRECTIONS FOU SHOEING HORSES. 545 



The Frog, when well developed, also acts as a stay against slipping. 

 A good sound frog is a better stay than calkins. 



The Frog, if sound, should not be trimmed. But if it has become 

 ragged (generally from having, by paring, been deprived of concussion 

 with the ground, or in other cases from standing in wet dirty litter in 

 the stable) the ragged parts should be carefully cut off. From either 

 of the above causes, the frog may become affected with " Thrush." 



5. The Bars are Nature's support against contraction at the heels, 

 and must on no acount be cut away. Nor must the sole in the interspace 

 between the bars and the crust be pared out. This filling up of the 

 interspace acts as a support to the bars and the crust against contraction 

 at the heels. The practice of so-called "opening the heels" is strictly 

 forbidden. 



6. Corns are due to pressure on the seat of " corn." Corns generally 

 occur on the inside, because the greater weight falls on that side. The 

 seat of corn is the angle between the crust and the bars. The ordinary 

 causes of pressure on the seat of corn, are 1st. The cutting away of the 

 bars and the paring out of the sole between the crust and the bars. 

 2nd. From the shoe at the heels not having a fair bearing both on the 

 crust and the bars.^ 3rd. From short shoes, that is, shoes less than the 

 full length of the crust. The ends of the shoe then come on and dig 

 into the seat of corn. 4th. From shifting of the bearing of the shoes due 

 to bad fitting and bad nailing. This occurs most frequently when the 

 crust has been weakened by rasping its outside. 5th. From the non- 

 removal of the shoes every month. The growth at the toes, which is 

 greater than at other parts of the foot, carries the shoe with it, and 

 then the shoe becomes shorter than the foot, and in consequence its end 

 presses on and digs into the seat of corn. 



7. If the fit and nailing are thoroughly good, an increased width of 

 the shoe at the heels is not needed. But as the best fit and nailing 

 cannot always be expected, a slightly increased width at the heel will be 

 useful in preventing the ends of the shoe from coming down on the seat 

 of corn, if in the course of wear it becomes somewhat displaced. 



What to Look for in a Neivly-shod Horse 



1. No mark of the rasp on the hoof. 



2. Sole has not been pared out. 



3. Frog has not been pared unless ragged. 



4. Bars have not been cut away. 



5. Nailing as regular as the state of crust admits of. 



6. Nails in a normal hoof brought out one inch above the shoe, and 

 in flat feet a little lower. 



7. Shoe neither larger nor smaller than the crust, or longer than 

 the hoof, except in heavy draught horses. 



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