ELEMENTS OF HIPPOLOGY. 143 



Figure 93 shows a shoe that has been on about seven weeks. 

 The frog has shrunken and the shoe is brought forward. The 

 worn appearance of the toe would lead to the belief that the 

 horse is a stumbler. 



All shoes have the fault of preventing the natural expansion 

 and contraction of the foot, due to the elastic action of its tissues. 

 To, restore this elasticity and to rest the foot, the following rule 

 should always, when possible, be observed: 



After shoes are removed, the horse should, if prac- 

 ticable, be left barefoot for twenty-four to forty-eight 

 hours. 



Proper use, proper feeding, and proper shoeing understood, 

 no practice will prolong the period of usefulness of a horse, or 

 do as much to prevent lameness, as this one. 



Any stableman of intelligence can be shown in an hour 

 how to take off shoes properly. It is an easy matter, the day 

 before a horse is to be shod, for the stableman to take off his 

 shoes and pinch off the surplus wall. Even if he must be shod 

 the next morning, the rest over night will do him much good. 



Before removing the old shoe, each clench should 

 be carefully and fully raised (Figure 94). 



The careful and complete raising of each clench is necessary 

 to avoid injury to the crust. If the clench is not raised, a part 

 of the crust will be torn away as the nail is drawn, and the wall 

 weakened by so much. 



After raising the clenches, the blacksmith next loosens the 

 shoe with the pincers, beginning at the heel. When all the nails 

 but the front one on one side are loosened, he begins at the other 

 heel, working towards the toe. again. Having loosened all the 

 nails but the front ones, he seizes the shoe at one of these nails 

 and pries towards the heel. If the blacksmith finds the shoe 

 coming off "hard' ' he should examine it to see that two or more 

 of the nails have not been driven obliquely, in which case there 



