158 THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 



The Cause of Interfering and its Remedy. 



With reg-ard to interfering' liorses my experience is that 

 when the hoof is even, as in the case of a colt that has 

 never been shod, there is never any interfering". By an 

 even hoof 1 mean one on which, taking* the frog- from the 

 center of the foot, I find about as much hoof inside tlie frog 

 as outside of it. This perfectly level bearing' of the feet in- 

 side and outside prevents all twisting* or sidewise motions 

 of the limbs while they are in motion. On the other hand, 

 I find that in nine cases out of ten where two-thirds of the 

 hoof is outside the frog* the horses are knee-knockers and 

 interferers. I think interfering* is chiefly due to bad shoe- 

 ing*, that is b}^ the smith taking- a little more oft' the inside 

 ever^^ time the horse is shod. This destroj^s the equal bear- 

 ing- and then the horse beg-ins to interfere. To remedy it 

 the hoof must be broug-ht out on the inside and taken off on 

 the outside. — By L. K. 



Interfering. 



With reference to interfering- between horses' hind feet, I 

 have emj)loyed the following' method for over ten years, 

 and it has g-iven good satisfaction. I pare the outside of 

 the foot the lowest and leave the inside the highest. I 

 make my shoes the thickest on the inside and draw them as 

 narrow as I can conveniently. I make the outside the 

 thinnest, and of oi'dinary width. I fit the shoes as narrow 

 from the toe to the heel of the inside as possible, so as not 

 to get the nails too deep in the foot. I fit the outside the 

 same as anj^ other shoe. 



My idea is to have the foot tlie highest on the inside, 

 which throw^s the pastern joint ont from the other foot when 

 it is set on the ground and while the opposite foot passes it 

 in making the step. I fit tlie shoe a little narrow on the in- 



