84 SCIEXTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



foliating and destitute of the natural moisture and flexibility 

 that exist in a healthy growth, and then to reduce the wall to a 

 level wnth the untouched, healthy or sound sole. I aim to have 

 every part of the wall, from the angle of the heels to the toe, 

 receive a good, broad, equal bearing on the shoe, unless there is 

 some special reason for doing otherwise. With some feet, hav- 

 ing a strong healthy growth, this means a great deal of cutting 

 (especially if shoes have been worn, and worn a long time) ; then, 

 again, there are feet which require very little reduction, hence, 

 the w^ork must be done with constant and intelligent reference 

 to the inclination of the pasterns as already prescribed. Some- 

 times the hoof will grow all to toe, and again the growth at the 

 heel will be more marked, or the foot may be run over by hav- 

 ing one side too high or the toe worn off excessivel3\ To rectify 

 this, and to better its adjustment a good plan is to look at the 

 old shoe to see where it has worn most and be partly Sfuided by 

 that. The point is to remove so much of the wall as would be 

 a surplus growth, or so much only as will bring it back to its 

 natural form and adjustment. And this after all must depend 

 upon the judgment, expertness, and ingenuity of the farrier, w^ho 

 should, however, never lose sight of the fact that if the heels are 

 allow^ed to grow too high, an excessive strain is thrown upon the 

 bones, while if the toes are too long the tendons suffer in like 

 manner. The sharp lower rim of the wall should be rounded- 

 off justa little to prevent splinters, and of course all stubs or 

 nails should be removed. 



Opening up the Heels. — The junction of the wall with 

 the bars affords a firm natural bearing for the heel of the shoe, 

 and is to be rasped level with the wall and so low as to be ex- 

 actly even with the frog, but the so-called process of " opening 

 up the heels " by removing the bars, is a most disastrous practice, 

 to be strictly avoided. The bars are the lateral braces and bind- 

 ers of the foot, and the arch which they form on either side 



