THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 99 



the same trouble will oflen require dilTerent treatment. 

 **One man's meat is another man's poison/' is a saving 

 that applies to horses as well as to men. 



In paring- the foot cut onl^^ the dead horn away, and on 

 no condition pare the sole, but with your knife scrape out 

 the loose and dead la3^ers, if there are ^nj. Our object 

 should be to assist nature ag-ainst the unnatural wear to 

 which the foot is subjected and not to try to improve on a 

 health^' foot. 



Fit the foot true and let it stand squarely on the floor. 

 If the horse interferes do not cut one side of the foot more, 

 cant the foot, twist the ankle and throAV the whole limb out 

 of balance, but keep it true and in balance and fit the shoe 

 to stop the interfering'. There are but few cases of inter- 

 fering' that cannot be cured Avith proper feed, care, and 

 driving' in connection with shoeing-. If the shoe and foot 

 are fitted true, as the^^ should be, there will be a true, even 

 bearing- all around the wall. Bring' the heels of the shoe 

 in, so that the point of the wall where it joins the bar will 

 rest on the shoe. Do not spread the heels wide to avoid 

 pinching' or contraction of the foot. The wide heels and 

 hig'h calks — as far as shoeing- is responsible for contracted 

 feet — cause more of them than all other methods put to- 

 gether. The wide heels and hig-h calks leave a point of 

 horn to come doAvn between the heels of the shoe and pre- 

 vent the natural action of the foot. In shoeing- contracted 

 feet make the inside of the shoe heels the highest, or level 

 them out, so that every time the horse steps it tends to 

 spread the foot. Use as few and as small nails as possible, 

 and secure the shoe firmly in its plac'e. In winter use as 

 lig'ht calkins as are consistent with the use of the horse, 

 and in summer put none at all on driving' horses at least, 

 and if a common sense shoe like the '^ Juniata" is used, flat 

 on the top and concave on the bottom, many team horses 



