THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 93 



er, and rasping" the foot to fit the shoe. This is one of the 

 worst habits of shoers, and is undoiibtedl3^ the cause of nine- 

 tenths of the hard, brittle feet we meet with. 



The reason for this is phiin. The hoof is covered with 

 an epidermis or cuticle of silicious material which, when 

 destroyed, enables the moisture naturalh^ contained in the 

 hoof to evaporate too rapidl}', causing- the hoof to become 

 hard, dr^^ and brittle, and with a little help from a faulty 

 shoe, such a foot is eventually likely to enter that state of 

 wide-spread deformit^^ styled contraction. 



The shoe should be attached with as small nails as prac- 

 ticable, and as few as will be sufficient to retain it, never 

 nailing far back on the inside quarter, so as to allow the 

 heels to expand. Some shoers are in favor of puuching- the 

 lioles in such a position that the nails ma^^ be diiven through 

 the middle of the wall, but I obtain a firmer hold, with less 

 liability to fracture the wall, by starting- the nail at the 

 inside of the wall, and driving- it obliquely upward and 

 outward. 



The nail should be of the best material, should fit snug- 

 in the shoe, and the clinches should be short and w^ell ham- 

 mered down. 



Interference is a very common annoyance,but easily pre- 

 vented if the cause is properly understood. Interfering- 

 may almost always be prevented by removing- the portion 

 of the shoe which does the injur3\ Tliis may be ascertain- 

 ed by applying' a boot covered with paint, and trotting- the 

 horse until a part of the paint becomes attached to the oj)- 

 posite shoe, which will show the exact spot which does the 

 mischief. Some horses have malformation of the leg\s, 

 which predispose them to interfere. I have cured some 

 such horses b}^ rasping- the outside quarter back to the heel 

 quite thin, but never resort to this plan when I can substi- 

 tute another, as it is apt to wenk(Mi the quarter and alter the 



