22 THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 



as it goes forward from the heel until finally at some point 

 away around at the side of the foot the shoe bears. 



I heard a blacksmith sa^^, not long- since, that ^' some men 

 were cranks on horseshoeing." Perhaps I am one. I have, 

 at least, decided opinions about this matter of a level bear- 

 ing- of the shoe all over the entire wall, and, above all, at 

 the heel. I have many times seen that kind of fitting which 

 would permit a case-knife to pass between the hoof and the 

 shoe at a point from two to two and a half inches, and even 

 three inches, forward from where the extreme point of the 

 heel should have rested on the shoe, but did not touch it 

 within an eighth of an inch, and in extreme cases an open 

 space was shown of from three-sixteenths to one- quarter 

 inch at the heel. It is often the case that this condition ap- 

 plies to the inner quarter and heel onl3% or, more correctly 

 speaking, the opening is hardly ever alike as between the 

 inside and outside quarter. 



If the man who fits shoes thus is asked w^hy he does it, 

 he says, ^^That horse has corns, and b3" cutting away the 

 hoof, wall, sole, and braces on the inside quarter it relieves 

 the pressure." Yes, and produces an undue strain in the 

 foot, as the weight is brought to bear at each step taken, or 

 for everv moment of time in which the horse stands. Lift 

 a foot thus shod and note the space between hoof and 

 shoe, and then, letting the foot rest on the ground or a 

 level floor, let an assistant raise the other foot, thereby 

 throwing the weight upon the foot under examination. 

 Why ! The shoe springs up to the foot ! No, the foot 

 springs down to the shoe. Well, anyhow, the space be- 

 tween is no longer to be seen ; the foot rests on the shoe. 

 Just here the man who puts the shoe on says : ^' Well, what 

 do you want ? It comes down as soon as the weight comes 

 on it." 



I want the shoe and foot both level, so that they come to- 

 gether evenly all the w^ay around from toe to heel^ and I 



