168 THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 



to arrive at anything' like a correct idea of what is needed 

 in his case. 



For instance, a horse that hits forward, if he is a thick- 

 breasted, well spread animal, generally needs a different 

 kind of shoe from the thin horse, Avith both legs close 

 together. If the shoer, or 2iuy one else, will stand in front 

 or behind the thick, well-spread horse, when he is travel- 

 ing, if he interferes, he will observe that when he lifts his 

 feet it is done with a roll or swing inwards. That horse 

 wants to be shod with a shoe of equal thickness all round 

 but twice as wide on the outside, to Aveight the outside of 

 the foot and make it balance. 



If, however, your horse is thin, and his legs are close 

 together, and he travels close, a^ou want to make the shoe 

 the thickest on the inside and sti^aighten it a little in the 

 spot where he hits. With the hind feet I have but little 

 trouble. You should take particular notice how the horse 

 stands and travels. If he carries his feet straight, pare the 

 foot a little, the lowest on the outside, and set the shoe in a 

 little on the inside, but if your horse toes out, as a great 

 many do, set your shoe well round upon the inside toe and out 

 at the heel, and trim off the outside toe, so as to make him 

 travel square. These are general directions, and with me 

 the treatment described has been successful in cases of 

 interfering. 



I have always found overreaching more difficult to over- 

 come, but here again do not get any pet theory in your 

 head. If I do not succeed the first time, I try some other 

 method. Were I to shoe a horse that I had never seen 

 before and knew nothing about, I should put heavj^ shoes in 

 front and light ones behind ; if this did not help the matter 

 I Avould put on light ones all round ; or I would set the toe 

 calk w^ell back on the hind shoe and set the shoe nearly 

 flush with the rim of the foot (no half-inch back for me); put 



