70 PRACTICAL HORSESHOEING. 



are harder than iron, should wear for a longer period, and 

 may thus be made made lighter. If their hardness does 

 not cause them to be more slippery on smooth pavement 

 when the ridges have become somewhat worn, than the 

 iron shoe, they should be an improvement, and prove 

 cheaper than those commonly in use. 



More recently, grooved and surface-cut rolled iron bars 

 have been introduced with some success for the manufac- 

 ture of horseshoes. 



Material. — Machine-made horseshoes have, unfortu- 

 nately, never hitherto proved successful, from the mate- 

 rial of which they are manufactured proving either too 

 soft — when they were too rapidly worn out — or too hard, 

 when they had a tendency either to break or induce slip- 

 ping- 



We have remarked how important it is that the shoes 



worn by horses should be as light as possible. It is gen- 

 erally a good plan, if a horse wears his shoes more at one 

 part than another, so that they do not last a sufficient 

 time, to weld in a small piece of steel at that place, in- 

 stead of thickening the shoe, and making it heavier. The 

 latter method, which is that generally adopted to save 

 time, most frequently defeats its purpose — the increased 

 weight causing the animal to drag its feet heavily along 

 the ground instead of lifting them freely. 



Lightness and durability can only be attained by em- 

 ploying the best material. 



Nail-holes. — The form of the shoe having been decid- 

 ed upon, the position and shape of the nail-holes, as well 

 as their number, have next to be considered. 



The shoe ought to be attached by nails to those parts 

 of the wall where the horn is strongest and tousrhest. In 

 the fore-foot, these parts are in front and along the sides 

 to the quarters ; there the horn becomes narrow and thin, 

 and the nails find less support, and are nearer to the liv- 



