1^6 SHOEING. 



difference is to be noted between the two operations — that 

 nature never removes the horny covering until she has pro- 

 vided another horny covering beneath, so that although a 

 large portion of the frog may have been removed, there still 

 remains behind a perfect frog, smaller, it is true, but covered 

 with horn, and in evepy way fitted to sustain exposure ; while 

 the knife, on the contrary, removes the horny covering, but 

 is unable to substitute any other in its stead. The frog should, 

 therefore, be left to itself; nature will remove the superfluous 

 horn, and the rags do no harm, since, if they are unmolested, 

 they will soon wholly disappear. 



The shoe should possess these general features : first, it should 

 be, for ordinary work, rather heavy, in order that it may not 

 be bent by contact with hard, uneven roads ; second, it should 

 be wide in the web, and of equal thickness and width from the 

 toe to the heel, that it may as much as possible protect the 

 sole, without altering the natural position of the foot ; third, it 

 should be well drawn in at the heels, that it may rest on the 

 bars, and extend to the outer edge of the crust on the outside, 

 and reach beyond the bar nearly to the frog, so that there may 

 be no danger of its pressing on ths "corn-place," or angles 

 between the bar and the crust ; anc fourth, it should in no 

 part extend beyond the outer edge of the crust, lest it 

 strike against the opposite leg when the horse is travel- 

 ing, or be stepped on by another horse, or be drawn off by a 

 heavy soil. 



Such a shoe, and its position on the foot, is shown in the 

 cut opposite. 



The shoe should be made as nearly of this form as the 

 Bbape of the foot will allow ; but it is always to be borne ia 



