390 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



no injury will be sustained from it, and, on the contrary, it 

 will render the paring more easy and less disagreeable to 

 the horse ; but if the sole has been regularly pared out 

 during shoeing, this must not be permitted. The quantity 

 of paring necessarily varies much, according to the forma- 

 tion and condition of the foot. The foot which is pumiced 

 should only have the ragged parts cut away ; when the foot 

 is flat, little paring is needed ; from that which is concave, 

 the crust must be pared until it yields slightly to strong 

 pressure from the thumb ; if the foot is strong, a great deal 

 of paring is requisite. Care must always be taken that the 

 crust is not reduced to a level with the sole, as this would 

 permit the sole to press upon the edge of the seating, and 

 thereby be bruised and injured. The entire circumference 

 of the crust should be perfectly level, but projecting a little 

 beyond the sole. 



We must now direct particular attention to the heels. 

 More stress is thrown on the inner heel than on the outer, 

 and, from natural weakness of the quarter there, it generally 

 wears quicker than the outer one. This being the case, 

 less horn must be pared from it than from the outer, as 

 taking the same quantity of horn from it would leave it 

 lower than the other, whereas they should be perfectly on a 

 level. 



Almost all smiths have a fancy for opening the heels, 

 from the idea that it does good by rendering the foot 

 neater, which is a complete fallacy, as they ought seldom 

 or never to be touched ; for, as we have already shown in 

 our description of the anatomy of the foot, the bars are 

 the only check in preventing contraction. ]^o thing, there- 

 fore, should be removed but the ragged and detached 

 portions. 



It is intended that the heel of the shoe should rest partly 



