APPLYING THE SHOE. * 79 



The defective solidity is patent to every one who has 

 had any experience in the matter. It is impossible to 

 level the ends of the horn-fibres so accurately that they 

 will all rest evenly on the surface of the iron ; so those 

 which are most prominent soon giving way to pressure, 

 the bed of the shoe is altered, and this, becoming loose, is 

 either lost, or we have projecting clenches. And even 

 should the fibres be made perfectly level, wet softens 

 them, causing them to become pulpy and shorter, by 

 which means the seat of the shoe is impaired and the nails 

 lose their firm hold of the wall. Ample experience on 

 active service, as well as that gathered at home during 

 peace, has demonstrated the instability resulting from 

 cold fitting;. 



Owing to the increased trouble and loss of time in- 

 curred by this method in attempts to make the shoe fit 

 somewhat accurately, but few farriers can afford or are 

 willing, to resort to it. Hence, when it is practised, if the 

 shoe is at all like the foot, it is put on, and rasp and knife 

 insure the hoof being made to fit it. This proceeding is 

 very injurious. 



In hot fitting we have none of these objections. The 

 shoe is very readily adapted to the foot ; it is more equal- 

 ly applied, and rests solidly on the hoof, so that the nails 

 are not broken or displaced by the shoe becoming loose ; 

 in fine, there is a more intimate contact between the iron 

 and the surface of the horn. The very fact of burning or 

 fusing the ends of the fibres insures a solid durable bed 

 which cannot be obtained otherwise, as this destroys the 

 spongy absorbent properties of the horn and renders it 

 eminently calculated to withstand the influence of moist- 

 ure. The effects produced on horn by tl^p hot iron have 

 been compared to those of fire on pieces of wood whose 

 ends have been superficially carbonized before being 

 buried in the ground. Every one knows that this opera- 



