63 



PRACTICAL HORSESHOEING. 



shoe is lightened without being weakened. 3. The level 

 border and extremities of the branches afford an equal 

 bearing for the foot, while the gradually deepening bevel, 

 with its sudden check, secures a permanent and powerful 

 catching point like that at the angle of the wall. 



The shoe is easily made by any farrier, differing, as it 

 does, so little from the ordinary hunting-shoe, and the 

 shape is the same for the fore as the hind shoe, except 

 that the former is, of course, more circular than the latter, 

 to correspond with the shape of the hoof. 



To make its fabrication as simple, speedy, and easy as 

 the ordinary shoe*, I have it made in two moulds or 

 " cresses," which fit into the anvil. These moulds are of 

 iron faced with steel ; one (Fig. 14) has two wide, slightly 



Fig. 14. 



Fig. 15. 



curved transverse grooves cut on its surface, the one side 

 of each being shallower than the other; in these each 

 branch of the shoe is moulded. The other cress (Fig. 15) 

 has also two indentations so formed as to cut the check 

 or "sunk calkin." With these moulds, the shoe is as 

 easily and quickly made as the common one, and requires 

 but little finishing. The moulds may be of three sizes, 

 to suit different sized feet and different kinds of work, and 

 can be forged by any ordinary blacksmith or farrier. 



This shoe has been somewhat extensively tried by car- 

 riage and saddle horses, and with the very best results. 

 For hunting or cavalry purposes it is excellent, particu- 



