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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



Calkms. — With the object of giving a better foothold to heavy horses 

 with a load behind them, calkins are usually made on the outer or both 

 heels of the hind shoes. A calkin is produced by turning down the heel 

 at right angles, and the projection being forced into the ground by the 

 animal's weight, gives a good grip. When calkins are fitted to the outer 

 heel of the shoe only, the inner heel is narrowed and thickened (wedge 

 heel), so that it brings them level, and with the same object the toes of 

 calkined shoes are similarly thickened. The object of using a " wedge 

 heel " on the inner branch is to lessen the chance of " brushing." 



Plain shoes are those in which the ground surface is flat. 



Fig. 48. 

 Shoe with calkin and thick toe. 



Concave shoes have the inside of the web hollowed out, so that the 

 ground surface is narrower than the foot surface. 



The advantages claimed for the concave pattern are : that it is lighter 

 than a plain shoe of similar thickness ; that in deep going it does not 

 create so much suction, is therefore less liable to be lost, and makes lighter 

 work for the horse. It is, however, obvious that it is not likely to last 

 quite so long as a plain shoe of equal width throughout. The concave 

 pattern is in general use for hunters, and its advantages for this particular 

 type are evident. 



'■^ Knocked up ^^ or " Feather-edged^^ shoes, have the inner branch of the 

 web considerably narrowed from the toe to the heel, and at the same time 

 •'Feather- glope inwards under the hoof. 'I'hey are used for horses which "brush." 

 edged. ^ 



" Knocked 

 up " or 



