132 HOW TO EDUCATE HORSES. 



the hind foot. Heavier horses require nails in pro- 

 portion. The front shoe should be nailed on with six 

 nails, three on each side, not too far back at the heel. 

 The hind shoe can be fastened with three nails on the 

 outside and two nails on the inside. Drive nails 

 home and clinch down nicely. 



A few words in regard to toe-crack. This defect 

 is from the same cause as the quarter-crack, ancj ap- 

 pears in both fore and hind feet. Clean the crack 

 well, cutting with a sharp knife the dead horn from 

 each side of it, and shoe as advised for quarter-crack, 

 putting the bearing on the frog and three quarters of 

 the foot. If the hoof is weak from long contraction 

 and defective circulation, I use a shoe with four calks 

 — two heel-calks and two toe-calks, one on each side of 

 the toe. Have these calks high enough so that the 

 frog will not strike on the ground. The result is, the 

 weight of the horse is thrown on the outside of the 

 foot. The pressure is now at the toe, and none at 

 the heel. The result is, every time the horse puts his 

 foot down the crack closes together. A few weeks 

 standing on these shoes will have a great effect. 



Some riders have a habit which I do not approve. 

 When they come in from a ride, particularly in the 

 spring of the year, and their horse's legs are covered 

 with mud, they direct the groom to turn a hose on 

 the leg. The cold water has a bad effect, and brings 

 on sundry complaints. Let the mud stay on until it 

 dries, then remove it with a brush. It will come out 

 very easily, and look fully as well as if washed. 



Thrush. — This is a very disagreeable discharge of 

 offensive matter from the cleft of the frog, by which 

 pus is secreted together with, or instead of, horn. If 

 the frog is sound, the cleft sinks but a little way 

 into it, but by contraction, or other causes, the cleft 



