SHOEING. 



175 



SHOEING. 



There is hardly any other class of mechanics who combine 

 so much ignorance of the principles on which their art is 

 founded, with so much conceit of their knowledge, as do or- 

 dinary horse-shoers ; and it should be one of the first duties 

 of the horse-owner to inform himself of the nature and struc- 

 ture of the horse's foot, the reason why shoeing is necessary at 

 all, what parts of the foot it protects, what is the best form 

 of shoe to effect the purpose, how it may be best fastened to 

 the foot, and how often it should be removed. 



To illustrate these important points, cuts are here intro- 

 duced, showing the construction of the horse's foot. 



Our first one shows the ground surface of the hoof prepared 

 for receiving a shoe ; and marks very distinctly the difference 

 between the curvature of the outer and inner quarters. 



The hoof is divided into 

 horny crust or wall, sole, and 

 ■ frog. The horny crust is se- 

 creted by the numerous blood- 

 j 2 vessels of that soft protruding 

 band which encircles the upper 

 edge of the hoof, immediately 

 beneath the termination of the 

 hair ; and is divided into toe, 

 quarters, heels, and bars. Its 

 texture is insensible, but elas- 



i i 



OBorifD strnPACE or the hoof. 



c. The toe— rasped away to receive the turned-up shoe, a 1. The inner toe. a 2. 

 The OMfcr toe. &1. The inwer quarter. 6 2. The owfer quarter, c 1. The inner heel. 

 c 2. The outer heel. d. d. d. The sole. e. e. The crust or wall of the hoof. /./• 

 The bars. g. g. The commissures, h. k. I. The frog. h. The part immediately under 

 the navicular joint, ft. The oval cleft of the frog. I The elevated boundary of th» 

 cleft. 1. 1. The bulbt of the heels. 



