TIIE HOKSE. 49 



The portion of the heels between the inflection of the bar and the 

 frog should scarcely be touched — at leasts the ragged and detached 

 parts alone should be cut away. The foot may not look so fair and 

 open, but it will last longer without contraction. 



The bar, likewise, should be left fully prominent, not only at its first 

 inflection, but as it runs down the side of the frog. The heel of the 

 shoe is designed to rest partly on the heel of the foot and partly on the 

 bar, for reasons that have been already stated. If the bar is weak, the 

 growth of it should be encouraged ; and it should be scarcely touched 

 when the horse is shod, unless it has attained a level with the crust. 



It will also be apparent, that the horn between the crust and the bar 

 should be carefully pared out. Every horseman has observed the relief 

 which is given to the animal lame with corns, when this angle is w^ell 

 thinned. 



The degree of paring to which the frog must be subjected, will 

 depend on its prominence, and on the shape of the foot. The principle 

 has already been stated, that it must be left so far projecting and prom- 

 inent, that it shall be just within and above the lower surface of the 

 shoe ; it will then descend with the sole suflSciently to discharge the 

 functions that have been attributed to it. If it is lower, it will be 

 bruised and injured ; if it is higher, it cannot come in contact with the 

 ground, and thus be enabled to do its duty. The ragged parts must be 

 removed, and especially those occasioned by thrush, but the degree of 

 paring must depend entirely on the principle just stated. 



Putting on the Shoe. — The shoe should accurately fit the size of the 

 foot ; if too small, and the foot is rasped down to fit the shoe, the crust 

 is thinned where it receives the nail, and the danger of puncture, and 

 of pressure upon the sole, is increased ; and a foot so artificially dimin- 

 ished in size, will soon grow over the shoe, to the hazard of considera- 

 ble or permanent lameness. 



The shoe should be properly beveled off", that the dirt, gravel, etc., 

 which gets between it and the foot may be shaken out. 



The web of the shoe is likewise of that thickness, that when the foot 

 is properly pared, the prominent part of the frog shall lie just within 

 and above its ground surface, so that in the descent of the sole, the 

 frog shall come sufficiently on the ground to enable it to act as a wedge 

 and to expand the quarters, while it is defended from the wear and in- 

 jury it would receive, if it came on the ground with the first and full 

 shock of the weight. 



The nail-holes are, on the ground side, placed as near the outer edge 

 of the shoe as they can safely be, and brought out near the inner edge 

 of the seating. The nails thus take a direction inward, resembling 

 that of the crust itself, and have firmer hold, and the weight of the 

 horse being thrown on a flat surface, contraction is not so likely to be 

 produced. 



It is expedient not only that the foot and ground surfoce of the shoe 

 should be most accurately level, but that the crust should be exactly 

 smoothed and fitted to the shoe. Much skill and time are necessary to 

 do this perfectly with the drawing-knife. The smith has adopted a 

 method of more quickly and more accurately adapting the shoe to the 

 8 



