236 ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



while he manipulates the metal, but if he has only one assistant, he joins 



in the welding with his hand hammer. Having drawn it up to the 



proper length, he " turns " the shape of the half shoe, and the striker 



having placed the tool and cutter successively on the anvil, the concave 



shape is produced and the heels cut to a correct slope. The shoe is then 



Stamping turned over, the "fullering" pressed out and the nail holes stamped, 



nail holes, beginning at the toe hole. Their position is first lightly marked, and then 



one or two heavy blows drive the stamp through, or nearly through. All 



these operations can be done by an expert workman at one heat ; two 



may be required, but learners will often produce nothing but a burnt and 



useless piece of metal in half a dozen. 



"Draw- The process is now repeated on the other half, and lastly the clips are 



ing" clips, "drawn " and the holes finished by pritchelling. 



Clips are "drawn" by holding the edge of the web over the edge of 

 the anvil and striking with the side of the hammer on the desired spot, 

 fitr o- f The fitting of the shoe. — A well-fitted shoe should have a perfectly 



the shoe ^^^'^^j even bearing on the whole of the wall, the bars, the white line, and 

 that outer rim of the sole which is naturally flat. It should follow the 

 circumference of the hoof accurately throughout, and at each heel should 

 be bevelled off so that the horn and iron are in line. 



The usual method is to shape the shoe as accurately as possible, by 



comparison with the old one during the forging, and then to bring it hot 



to the foot. It is held in contact sufficiently long to sear the horn brown 



where it touches, and during this period the farrier makes a mental note 



of any further slight alterations of shape required, and the position of 



Hot and clips. Hot fitting is the general method adopted, because it is the best 



cold ^yay |-Q ensure a perfect fit, but on service a forge is not always possible, 



^"^* though shoeing is imperative, and cold fitting is therefore a necessity in 



the army. 



With hot fitting, the workmen can see at a glance from the brown 

 appearance of the burnt horn, where the web of the shoe touches the 

 hoof ; and by rasping these parts down till perfect contact of the whole 

 is assured, as proved by a complete brown rim, he is certain to get an 

 accurate co-aptation of hoof and shoe. 



With cold fitting, there is no such guide, and to get equal perfection, 

 requires a nicer appreciation by the eye of the surfaces to be joined. 

 For this reason alone, cold fitting is not as a rule so accurate and solid 

 as when carried out hot, and the result is a greater proportion of loose or 

 lost shoes from the shoe rocking, and the clenches rising. 



Another reason why heat is generally used in fitting, is the ease with 

 which the hot metal is altered. With light cavalry shoes this is not a 



