SHOEING. 345 



PUTTING ON THE SHOE, 



The shoe should accurately fit the size of the foot ; if too small, 

 and the foot is rasped down to fit the shoe, the crust is thinned 

 where it receives the nail, and the danger of puncture, and of 

 pressure upon the sole, is increased ; and a foot so artificially di 

 minished in size, will soon grow over the shoe, to the hazard of 

 considerable or permanent lameness. 



The shoe should be properly bevelled off, that the dirt, gravel, 

 &c., wJiich gets between it and the foot may be shaken out. 



The web of the shoe is likewise of that thickness, that when 

 the foot is properly pared, the prominent part of the frog shall lie 

 just within and above its ground surface, so that in the descent 

 of the sole, the frog shall come sufficiently on the ground to en- 

 able it to act as a wedge, and to expand the quarters, while it is 

 defended from the wear and injury it would receive, if it came 

 on the ground with the first and full shock of the weight. 



The nail-holes are, on the ground side, placed as near the outer 

 edge of the shoe as they can safely be, and brought out near the 

 inner edge of the seating. The nails thus take a direction in- 

 wards, resembling that of the crust itself, and have firmer hold, 

 and the weight of the horse being thrown on a flat surface, con- 

 traction is not so likely to be produced. 



It is expedient not only that the foot and gro and surface of the 

 shoe should be most accurately level, but that the crust should be 

 exactly smoothed and fitted to the shoe. Much skill and time 

 are necessary to do this perfectly with the drawing-knife. The 

 smith has adopted a method of more quickly, and more accurately 

 adapting the shoe to the foot. He pares the crust as level as he 

 can, and then he brings the shoe to a heat somewhat below a red 

 heat, and applies it to the foot, and detects any little elevations 

 by the deeper color of the burned horn. This practice has been 

 much inveighed against ; but it is the abuse, and not the use of 

 the thing which is to be condemned. If the shoe is not too hot, 

 nor held too long on the foot, an accuracy of adjustment is thus 

 obtained, which the knife would be long in producing, or would 

 not produce at all. If, however, the shoe is made to burn its way 

 to its seat, with little or no previous preparation of the foot, the 

 heat must be injurious both to the sensible and insensible parts of 

 the foot. 



The heels of the shoe should be examined as to their proper 

 width. Whatever is the custom of shoeing the horses of dealers, 

 and the too prevalent practice in the metropolis of giving the foot 

 an open appearance, although the posterior part of it is thereby 

 exposed to injury, nothing is more certain than that, in the horse 



