76 SHOEING. 



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 

 perceived 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 compara- 

 tively 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. 



In all foot ailments, whenever a horse is lame, al- 

 though the disease may not apparently be in the foot, 

 let the shoe first be carefully removed, and the shoeless 

 foot examined by as competent a farrier as can be pro- 

 cured (in the absence of a veterinary surgeon), by pin- 

 cers round the nail-holes, gently pressing wall and sole 

 together, by the hammer tapping the sole, and a judici- 

 ous use of the drawing-knife, to detect the possible seat 

 of disease. 



I have known a lame horse to be brought to a reput- 

 edly-experienced amateur horse-doctor, the cause of dis- 



