THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 169 



the heel calks of the front shoe one-half or three-quarters 

 of an inch from the heel, and bevel the heel from the gTound 

 side to nearl}' a point. Horses g-enerall}^ outg-row this dis- 

 agreeable habit as they g-row older. I observe that one 

 shoer recommends using' nothing- but hind shoes. Now I 

 think that all wrong", for this reason : There are manv 



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horses that have a very wide, flat foot ; if 3'ou use narrow 

 shoes there is nothing* to protect the bottom of the foot, 

 and it is g-rowing- worse all the time ; but if you use a shoe 

 with a wide web it will take an equal part of the pressure 

 and keep the foot from sag-ging- down. 



I wish to say a few words about the much-talked-of sub- 

 ject, "' Hot and Cold -Fittings." I am for hot fitting in the- 

 ory and cold in practice. But some one will say that is 

 inconsistent. My reason is, that w^hile I do not believe a 

 shoe can be fitted to a horse's foot so nicelv in anv other 

 way as when hot, I usually fit cold to please my customers, 

 who know no more about a horse's foot than they do about 

 the internal arrangement of the kingdom of Heaven. 

 There seems to be considerable talk about what is hot and 

 cold fitting. I do not believe in heating a shoe white hot, 

 and burning the foot down without using the butteris or 

 knife, but I do believe in having the shoe moderately red. 

 Then place it on the foot and burn a little and pare a little 

 until you get the foot to the proper size and shape. Do not 

 have your shoe too cold, for if 3^ou do you may keep it on 

 so long as to heat the foot through and injure it. — By 

 Granite State. 



Interfering, How to Prevent it 



In regard to interfering, I have had the best success with 

 horses that interfere by paring the foot as small as it will 

 do. Have the foot perfectly level, then fit the shoe to the 



