THE PRACTICAL HORSESHOER. 185 



shoe, it is necessary to dress it again and reset the shoe. I 

 take care not to let the quarter touch tlie shoe until it has 

 g-rown down. Accordingly, some preparation to stimulate 

 growth is desirable. For this purpose I prepare a hoof 

 ointment which has proved to be very valuable. With it I 

 am able to overcome the worst crack I have ever seen, in 

 the space of four months' time, and that Avithout the horse 

 limping at all after the first shoeing. I commenced shoeing 

 when I was but twelve years old, and in my time have 

 worked in a great man^^ different shops. I sometimes think I 

 would rather have horses with quarter cracks, or lame, 

 come to my shop, than^those that are sound, for I know^ by 

 experience that when I get one of the former, I am sure to 

 give satisfaction to the owner. — By G. E. R. 



Curing a Split Foot. 



My way of curing a split hoof is to level the foot, making 

 the heels as low as possible, and the sole moderately thin. 

 I then cut a groove in the bottom of the crust of the toe, 

 make a bar shoe, and let the bar rest on the frog so as to 

 get a strong frog pressure. I set the toe well back on the 

 shoe so as to get the pressure off the toe, and make the toe 

 on the shoe long to secure a wide bearing. I use plenty of 

 nails, but put them well back from the toe. The shoe is 

 made rather large, and is wide at the heels. I take as 

 much pressure off the toe as possible, keep the crack clean, 

 and keep plenty of pine tar on the sole and wall of the foot. 

 The shoes are kept on as long as possible. They should not 

 be set, but should be tightened when necessary to keep 

 them from getting loose. 



An old smith came into my shop the other day, and af- 



.ter Avatching me as I cooled off a shoe to fit it, said I never 



would make a horseshoer in ni}^ life, because no man who 



