86 THE HOESE OWNER's 



projecting horn of tlie hind foot will enter the opening of 

 the fore shoe, heki up to receive it, and be stopped by the 

 sole or frog before any part of the two shoes can come 

 together, and the noise will cease. I have said that you 

 should round off the back edge of the web at the toe to 

 prevent an " over-reach." It is commonly supposed that 

 this also is done by the front of the toe, whereas it is al- 

 ways done by the back edge, which in a well-worn shoe, 

 becomes as sharp as a knife. Now, if the horse, in gal- 

 loping, does not lift up his fore foot from the ground 

 and throw it forward in time to make way for the hind 

 foot, the hind foot over-reaches it and cuts a piece out of 

 the soft parts above the heel, and produces a very trouble- 

 some wound. The hind foot expands less than the fore 

 foot; still you should place the nail holes so as not to 

 confine the foot. For some years I shod my light horses, 

 as an experiment, with only six nails in each hind shoe, 

 and I found it to answer very well for them ; but six were 

 not enough to prevent the hind shoes of my large carriage 

 horses from occasionally shifting on their feet. I therefore 

 shod them with seven ; and I recommend you, as a gen- 

 eral rule, to put seven nails into the hind shoes of all 

 hunters and other horses that are likely to be frequently 

 called upon to exert their muscular powers to the fullest 

 extent. The holes on the inside should be stamped 

 closer together than those on the outside, and they should 

 be placed forward towards the toe, so as to leave the in- 

 side quarter and heel free to expand. A small foot can be 

 safely shod with six nails, and no foot can ever require 

 more than seven. 



CUTTIWG. 

 Horses strike their feet against the opposite leg in such 



