SHOEING. 77 



If farriers are allowed, they will almost invariably 

 drive as many shoe-nails round the inside quarter as the 

 outside. This is a lamentable mistake, especially re- 

 garding the fore feet, as the foot being thus nearly all 

 round confined to the shoe, its proper action is inter- 

 fered with, preventing a possibility of its natural and 

 gradual expansion in action from the toe towards the 

 heel, as the horse lays his foot upon the ground, with 

 all weight, as well as the act of projmlsion, pressed 

 on it. 



The reason for liberating the inside quarter in prefer- 

 ence to the outside is, that the inside, being more under 

 the centre of gravity, will be found to expand and con- 

 tract more than the outside, as will be proved by the 

 removal and examination of a shoe that has been in use 

 three or four weeks. On observing the part of the shoe 

 that has been next the foot, it will be distinctly per- 

 ceived that the friction of the inside quarter of the foot 

 has worn a cavity in the portion of the shoe which has 

 been under that quarter of the foot, while the side that 

 has been under the outside quarter bears comparatively 

 little evidence of friction above it. 



This being an established fact, it seems desirable that 

 the full number of nails should be driven round the out- 

 side quarter, and not more than one or two (for hunting 

 purposes) on the inside from the toe. (Six nails alto- 

 gether is the cavalry regulation.) 



If your horses are not quick wearers on the road, the 

 fore shoes should be removed within two or three weeks 

 after shoeing (care being taken that the clenches of the 

 nails in the hind feet are at the same time properly 

 levelled to the hoof to prevent brushing), and let them 

 be re- shod every five or six weeks. 



