82 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



perfect and far better adapted to all purposes than any that can 

 be given by the most ingenious farrier 



Rational Shoeing. — When, therefore, we undertake to 

 get a horse's foot into condition, this rule may be invariably de- 

 pended upon, that any mode of shoeing and treating the foot 

 which has a tendency to alter the form or design of nature is 

 highly absurd and destructive, while that practice which best 

 tends to the conservation of its natural uses is alone founded 

 upon sound and rational principles. 



Fig. 23 shows a natural, healthy hoof properly prepared for 

 the shoe, and clearly indicates the only parts which should be 

 reduced when a foot is being made ready. 



Fig. 24 shows the upper surface of the same hoof with 

 longitudinal and tranverse lines, indicating the proper balance of 

 a level foot and the normal center of gravity at intersecting 

 point. 



Fundamental Principles. — It may be accepted as a guid- 

 ing principle that in a natural healthy foot, the outside rim of 

 the horny wall and that small portion of the sole immediately 

 attached to it on which the shoe is to rest, are the only portions 

 of the foot to be interfered with in preparing the foot for the 

 shoe, and, whenever possible, the necessary trimming ought to 

 be eftected by means of the rasp. Conditional exceptions to 

 this general rule are, of course, to be fully noted in my observa- 

 tions hereafter, on shoeing different kinds of horses, and in the 

 treatment of diseases. Natural physical conditions are alone 

 treated of in this section. 



The feet must be placed upon the same plane and in pro- 

 portion to the skill displayed in this alignment, will danger of 

 injury be avoided, as the smallest deviation from a perfectly 

 level bearing entails disastrous consequences, not only on the 

 foot but on the entire limb. 



