54 PRACTICAL HORSESHOEING. 



advantage this space is admirably contrived to lodge 

 stones, gravel, hardened mud, or snow, and in heavy- 

 ground it increases the suction immensely. But, as will 

 be easily understood from the manner in which the under- 

 surface of the foot has been treated, this bevelling is ren- 

 dered an absolute necessity if the horse is to be preserved 

 from immediate lameness. The sole has been pared so 

 thin, that so far from its being able to withstand a tolera- 

 bly large amount of pressure around its margin — particu- 

 larly toward the toe — it must be most carefully preserved 

 not only from contact with the shoe, but also with the 

 ground. This necessitates a wide surface of metal, which 

 increases the weight of the shoe, making it clumsier to 

 wear, and affords a large under or ground surface for slip- 

 ping. And even with a shoe of such dimensions the crea- 

 ture cannot travel at ease on stony roads, as the least pres- 

 sure of a stone on the tender sole causes him to limp, and 

 if the stone lodges in the space between shoe and sole se- 

 rious injury is likely to be done. 



Weight. — In addition to the bevelling and the width, 

 the shoe in ordinary use has several other glaring defects. 

 One of these is generally its excessive weight ; it contains 

 an amount of iron far greater than is necessary to protect 

 the hoof from the effects of wear. One reason alleged for 

 the employment of these cumbrous masses of iron attached 

 to the ends of a horse's limbs is that they prevent concus- 

 sion to the foot. This any reasonable person will at once 

 perceive is a manifest absurdity. The hoof, by its lightness, 

 its texture, and the wonderful arrangement of its compo- 

 nent parts, is well adapted to avert concussion ; an inelastic 

 heavy lump of iron firmly attached to it, and coming into 

 forcible collision with the ground at every step, must sure- 

 ly be more likely to increase this concussion than diminish 

 it. 



There can be no difficulty, I imagine, in estimating the 



