In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 127 



clip at the toe which is put upon the horse with 

 only four nails ; the loot is lowered at the bed of 

 the shoe and the toe shortened; the sole and frog 

 are never touched with the knife. The lowering of 

 the sole at the bed of the shoe is to bring the surface 

 of the shoe flush with the sole, so that the animal 

 has a level bearing upon the whole of its foot, and 

 brings it as near to its natural formation as possible. 

 This system of shoeing with tips has all the advantages 

 of the "Charlier" without its drawbacks; they can be 

 made and put on by any smith of ordinary skill, and 

 there is not the danger of drawing the shoe too close to 

 the sensitive lamillaB and setting up inflammation. That 

 horses can do ordinary work in them is certain, and horses 

 shod with the " Charlier" or tips are seldom known to 

 sprain their back sinews, and never become afflicted with 

 navicular disease. The horses of one of the coaches 

 running from the White Horse Cellar used to be shod 

 with tips, and many gentlemen use them exclusively for 

 horses for all purposes, yet in the hunting field they have 

 the same fault as the " Charlier" — want of grip at a bank 

 Of the ordinary hunting shoe I need scarcely speak, as it 

 is a given fact that they require to be light, made short 

 with the heels bevelled to prevent them being torn off 

 when jumping into deep land. The hind shoe of the hunter 

 should always be rounded at the toe both inside and 

 outside, to prevent the horse cutting its heels off should 

 he over-reach. Many horses injure themselves when 

 running, which is called cutting, or brushing. Many 

 methods are resorted to to prevent its occurrence, but in 

 nine cases out of ten the horse always cuts worse in new 



