CHAPTER XIX 



SHOEING 



TT should always be kept in mind that the reason for 

 •'■ shoeing is simply to protect the foot of the horse 

 from the wear and tear to which it is subjected on hard 

 ground or pavements. The great object, therefore, 

 should be to have the shoe interfere as little as possible 

 with the natural shape and position of the foot, and to 

 raise the foot from the ground as little as possible. 



THE USE OF CALKS 



Calks are an evil though often a necessary one. 

 They should be so low as to raise the foot from the 

 ground as little as possible. Very high calks are 

 especially injurious to the horse, for they make him 

 travel as if on stilts, and are extremely likely to pro- 

 duce side-bones, spavins, and other malformations. 

 What little is gained by the saving of shoes from the 

 use of high calks is more than offset by injury to the 

 foot or leg. 



On the other hand, calks on the hind feet, if not too 

 high, are usually beneficial. They assist the draft horse 

 to pull, for pulling is done mainly by the backward 

 thrust of the hind legs, and they are a help to the road 

 or saddle horse in going up and down hill. 



A roadster, saddle, or carriage horse should never 

 have calks on his fore shoes unless the roads are icy. 



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