926 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



Sect. VIII. The Shoeing of Horses. 



5925. The importance of the subject of shoeing to the agriculturist is sufficiently 

 attested by the immense number of inventions which the ingenuity of philosophers and 

 artists are every day devising, to render the system complete. Almost every veterinary 

 professor has his favorite shoe ; and we find one of the most ingenious of the present 

 day endeavoring to force on our notice, and introduce into our stables the French 

 method ; which, with the exception of the mode of nailing on, White observes, is the very 

 worst he ever saw. The French shoe [Jig. 624 a) has a wide web g24 



towards the toe, and is concave above, and convex below (6), on 

 the ground surface, by which neither the toe nor heel touch the 

 ground (c) ; but the horse stands pretty much in the same 

 way with an. unhappy cat, shod by unlucky boys with walnut 

 shells. But as Blaine observes, in reference to these inven- 

 tions, "No one form of foot defence can be oiFered as an 

 universal pattern." It is, he continues, plain that the principles 

 of shoeing ought to be those that allow as little departure from 

 nature as circumstances will justify. The practice also should 

 be strictly consonant to the principles ; and both ought to con- 

 sist, first, in removing no parts but those which, if the bare hoof 

 were applied to natural ground, would remove of themselves. 

 Secondly, in bringing such parts in contact with the ground 

 (generally speaking) as are opposed to it in an unshod state; 

 and above all, to endeavor to preserve the original form of the 

 foot, by framing the shoe thereto ; but never to alter the foot 

 to the defence. The shoe at present made at the forges of the most respectable smiths 

 in the cities and large towns throughout the kingdom, if it have not all the requisites, 

 is, however, so much improved on, that with some alterations, not difficult either to 

 direct or adopt, is the one we shall hold up as the most eligible for general shoeing. It 

 is not that a better might not be offered to the notice ; and in fact such a one we shall 

 present to our readers ; but so averse are the generality of smiths to have any improve- 

 ments forced on them, and so obstinately determined are they to adhere to the forms 

 handed down to them by their forefathers, that their stupidity or malevolence, or both, 

 frequently makes the improvement itself, when seemingly acquiesced in, a source of 

 irreparable injury. It is for these reasons we would recommend to agriculturists in 

 general, a modified shoe of the common stamp. 



5926. The improved shoe for general use (fig. 625.), is rather wider than what is 

 usually made. Its nail holes (a) extend no further towards 625 



the heels than is actually necessary for security ; by which 

 the expansion of these parts is encouraged, and contraction 

 is avoided. To strengthen the attachment, and to make up 

 for this liberty given to the heels, the nails should be carried 

 around the front of the shoe (c). The nail holes, on the 

 under or ground surface of the shoe (), are usually formed 

 in a gutter, technically called the fullering ; but in the case 

 of heavy treading powerful horses, this gutter may be omit- 

 ted, or if adopted, the shoe in that part may be steeled. 

 The web, should be quite even on the foot or hoof surface 

 (6 1, and not only be rather wider, but it should also have 

 rather more substance than is common : from half an 

 inch to five eighths in thickness, according to circumstance, forms a fair proportion ; 

 when it is less it is apt, in wearing, to bend to pressure and force oiit the clinches. 

 A great error is committed in setting shoes out so much wider than the heels themselves : 

 this error has been devised to correct another, which has been that of letting horses go too 

 long without shoeing ; in which case, if the heels of the shoe were not too wide origi- 

 nally, as the foot grew, they became lost within the heels ; and thus bruised and pro- 

 duced corns : but as we will suppose that few will wish to enter into a certain error to 

 avoid an uncertain one, so we recommend that the heels of the shoe should stand only 

 wide enough to prevent the expansion of the quarters pushing the heels of the feet over 

 the outer edge of the heels of the shoe : for which purpose if the iron project rather 

 less than a quarter of an inch, instead of three. eighths, or even half an inch, as it fre- 

 quently does, many advantages will be gained. Whoever attentively examines a shoe 

 well set off at the heels, as it is termed, will find only one third of its flat surface 

 protecting the heels ; the remainder projects beyond, and serves but to form a shelf 

 to lodge dirt on j or as a convenient clip for another horse to tread on ; or for the 

 wearer to cut his own legs with ; or to afford a more ready hold for the suction of clayey 



