THE FOOT AND SHOEING. 239 



In judging whether the nail is being correctly driven, the man is 

 guided by sound and feel. As the point is driven through the soft horn 

 near the white line, towards the harder outside of the wall, the sound 

 produced at each stroke alters, and practice enables him to detect any 

 deviation from the normal. In addition he keeps touching the spot 

 where he expects the point to issue, with a finger tip, and so gets a good 

 idea as to its direction. 



Nails should be driven a medium height, those at the toe a little higher 

 than at the heel. If more are employed on one side than the other, the 

 inside heel nail is the first to be left out, this being least necessary, and 

 most difficult to drive safely. 



As each nail is driven, the projecting point is seized by the claw of 

 the hammer, and wrung off by a sharp twist ; or is bent flat against the 

 wall to avoid the chance of its wounding the man's leg. 



Clc7iching lip. — When all the points are wrung off, the heads are well Clenching 

 driven home by repeated blows of the hammer and at the same time the up. 

 closed jaws of the pincers are pressed firmly upwards against the broken 

 ends. This turns up a small portion of the shank, the clench. Immedi- 

 ately below the clench a tiny groove may, or may not, be made by the edge 

 of the rasp for its reception, and it is then hammered firmly down on to the 

 wall. A few strokes with the rasp smooth off any projection, and its edge Finishing, 

 may be run round between shoe and hoof, to bevel the rim of the latter 

 with a view to prevent it splitting. The clips are hammered lightly into 

 the same line as the slope of the wall either at the conclusion or before 

 clenching up. 



Faults in 7iailifig and fiiiishiiig. — '■'■ Pricks'" (p. 335), wounds " Pricks " 

 from nails driven into the fleshy part, and '''■presses^' or " binds" from and 

 their being so close that they bruise them, are bound to occur from time "presses." 

 to time. Generally speaking, they are very infrequent accidents with 

 careful workmen, and if they recur often, or in horses with good feet, may 

 be regarded as evidence of inability or carelessness. It should be 

 remembered, however, that animals with small feet and thin walls are 

 always more liable to this accident than others. 



" High " and " Shallow " driving may be regarded as faults if they are "High " 

 seen on well-shaped feet with thick strong walls, but there are frequent f_"d 

 occasions when both may be necessary. To obtain a hold on a brittle or ^j^-^^fj^i^^ 

 broken foot, or to prevent injury to a weak one they may be safeguards 

 instead of faults. 



Raspifig the surface of the wall is the most usual fault seen, and is due. Rasping 

 like some others, to a desire for a smart appearance, rather than useful- the surface 

 Bess and good work. There should be no rasping whatever above the of the 



