SHOEING. 



A narrow, mulish foot is supposed to be a defec- 

 tive one, but mules, and ponies, wliicli often have 

 mulish feet, are as sound or sounder and are more 

 enduring than horses. Again, flat, large feet are not 

 approved of, but I never heard of any harm happening 

 to any horse or its rider in consequence of the horse 

 having such feet. 



If a horse has thin, flat feet, and there is a crack 

 in the toe as if you bad split his toe up a little way, 



Fig. 0. 



he should be rejected^ as it will be difficult to cure, 

 and liable to return. 



A horse's two fore feet and two hind feet should, 

 I need not say, both be alike ; the fore feet should 

 be circular and the hind feet oval, that is, they should 

 leave marks in the ground of that shape. They 

 should show a straight edge looking at them side- 

 ways from the coronet, that is, where the hair and 

 hoof join, to the sole where the hoof and shoe meet, 

 and should not bulo^e out or cave in. 



