74 PRACTICAL HORSESHOEING. 



if they are resorted to, their injurious action should be 

 averted by employing a toe-piece of the same height. 



For the race-horse the narrowest iron rim is sufficient, 

 provided it is strong enough not to twist or bend. The 

 present form of shoe is not objectionable. 



For hunters, hacks, and harness horses, a shoe of the 

 modified pattern I have described is well adapted ; even 

 the ordinary hunting pattern, but without the calkin on 

 the hind-shoe, is infinitely preferable to that used for hacks 

 and harness horses. 



Another excellent form of shoe, introduced by Staff 

 Veterinary Surgeon Thacker, and which has been in use 

 for some time at Woolwich on riding and harness horses, 

 deserves to be mentioned here. It is broader in the cover 

 at the toe than the heels (Fig. 17) ; at the toe it is slightly 



Fig. 17. 



curved upward, to remove it from the greater amount of 

 wear occurring at this part, and also as a safeguard against 

 horses' stumbling. This curve also acts as a clip to prevent 

 the shoe moving backward. The foot-surface is quite flat, 

 and rests on the sole and wall (Fig. 17). The ground-sur- 

 face (Fig. 1 8) is bevelled somewhat like the hunting or modi- 

 fied shoe I have described, with the intention of protecting 

 the heads of the nails from too much wear, and offering no 

 line or cavity whereby a stone can lodge or become wedged. 

 The cover or " web " of the shoe is gradually brought very 



