140 



cf the shoes ought to be of a sufficient thickness, 

 and so contrived inside as to suffer little or no 

 pressure to fall on the bars or frog -, because 

 this pressure re^iches the sensible sole, and lames 

 the horse. 



The outside of the shoe is next to be 

 considered. It ought to be nearly flat, blit 

 failing away a little towards the inward edge, 

 as the horse will keep his feet the better for it, 

 having a more firm hold cf the ground than 

 when the shoe is too full in the middle ; parti- 

 cularly in the winter, when the frost renders it 

 so difBcuIt for any animal to stand that is shod 

 with iron. The shoes of all horses will be 

 the better for being thus formed, as they will 

 keep their feet better. The slioe ought to be 

 grooved for the nails, the groove at each side 

 approaching gradually, and terminating at a 

 small distance from the toe. In frosty wea- 

 ther it would be adviseable for the fore shoes to 

 be grooved round at the toe, and a frost or ice 

 nail adopted, which greatly assists the horse in 

 keeping his feet. The groove has two advan- 

 tages j in the first place it preserves the heads 

 cf the nails from breaking off, and keeps them 

 more firm in their place; and in the next, even 



