THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 87 



CHAPTER IV. 



PREPARING THE FOOT. HOT OR COLD 



FITTING, WHICH? 



The advocates of each s^^stem of fitting- are numerous, 

 but the weig"lit of evidence seems to be in favor of cold fit- 

 ting-, in theory, and more or less hot, in practice. The 

 writer has seen shoers who were, so to speak, warm de- 

 fenders of the cold method, employ in actual practice, heat 

 enough to mark the surface of the foot so as to indicate 

 where the high spots were. They would permit the shoe to 

 touch the foot only for an instant and the heat in the iron 

 would only be sufficient to slightly discolor the hoof. 



Preparing the Horse's Foot for the Shoe. 



I desire to make a few remarks on the pi'oper methods of 

 preparing the horse's foot for the shoe. I have had con- 

 siderable experience — fifteen years as farrier-major in the 

 British Army, and about thirt}^ years in New York City 

 and State — and should, therefore, know whereof I speak. 



There are many who think differently from me on the 

 points I shall touch upon, but my long- and varied experi- 

 ence has proven my views to be correct — to my own satis- 

 action. 



In the first place, a horseshoer must undei'stand a little 

 of the anatomy of the horse's foot ; he must understand 

 the position and composition of those parts of the foot with 



