80 SHOEING. 



from friction of the coffin-bone, on the inside of the 

 sole, above the seat of corn. The shoe ought to rest 

 entirely on the wall of the foot, and not on any part of 

 the sole. 



Roughing and Frosting is simply drawing out the 

 old nails about the toes and replacing them with very 

 large sharp-headed ones, called frost-nails. Horse-nails 

 being made purposely of a soft metal, are unfit for 

 frosting, as the heads wear down so quickly. If 

 smiths would steel the heads of frost-nails, they would 

 last much longer. This precaution against slipping, 

 however, is only effectual in slight frosts. In regular 

 frosting, the nails are carried completely round, with 

 the addition of sharp calkins being turned on the heels 

 of all four feet, and sometimes also short spikes or 

 cogs turned down from the toes; but the latter are 

 common only in severe climates, though their use is 

 quite as desirable in England, especially to assist horses 

 in ascending slippery hills, where the cogs on the heels 

 have little or no hold in the ground. Cogs or calkins 

 should be rasped by the smith, to sharpen them, every 

 couple of days. 



Although it may be inconvenient and expensive to 

 have horses prepared in frosty weather, it is highly 

 necessary to do so where work is required of them. 

 The very extraordinary exertion that is needed on the 

 part of the animal to keep his feet when unprepared, 

 as well as the fret to his energies, takes a vast deal 

 more out of him in one day's work than a month's 

 daily use would do under ordinary circumstances, not 

 to speak of the risk of pecuniary loss from accident. 



It is a most pitiable thing to see the poor beasts 

 struggling in their high courage and good temper to 



