CLIPS-THE HINDER SHOE, &.c. 33? 



CLIPS. 



These are portions of the upper edge of the shoe, hammered out, and turned up so 

 as to embrace the lower part of the crust, and which is usually pared out a little, in 

 order to receive the clip. They are very useful, as more securely attaching the shoe 

 to the foot, and relieving the crust from that stress upon the nails which would other- 

 wise be injurious. A clip at the toe is almost necessary in every draught-horse, and 

 absolutely so in the horse of heavy draught, in order to prevent the shoe from being 

 loosened or torn off by the pressure which is thrown upon the toe in the act of draw- 

 ing. A clip on the outside of each shoe, at the beginning of the quarters, will give 

 security to it. Clips are likewise necessary on the shoes of all heavy horses, and of 

 all others who are disposed to stamp, or violently paw with their feet, and thus incur 

 the danger of displacing the shoe ; but they are evils, inasmuch as they press upon 

 the crust as it grows down, and they should only be used when circumstances abso- 

 lutely require them. In the hunter's shoe they are not required at the sides. One at 

 the toe is sufficient. 



THE HINDER SHOE. 



In forming the hinder shoes it should be remembered that the hind limbs are the 

 principal instruments in progression, and that in every act of progression, except the 

 walk, the toe is the point on which the whole frame of the animal turns, and from 

 which it is propelled. This part, then, should be strengthened as much as possible ; 

 and, therefore, the hinder shoes are made broader at the toe than the fore ones. An- 

 other good effect is produced by this, that, the hinder foot being shortened, there is 

 less danger of overreaching or forging, and especially if the shoe is wider on the foot 

 surface than on the ground one. The shoe is thus made to slope inward, and is a 

 little within the toe of the crust 



The shape of the hinder foot is somewhat different from that of the fore foot. It is 

 straighter in the quarters, and the shoe must have the same form. For carriage and 

 draught-horses generally, calkins may be put on the heels, because the animal will be 

 thus enabled to dig his toe more firmly into the ground, and urge himself forward, 

 and throw his weight into the collar with greater advantage : but the calkins must 

 not be too high, and they must be of an equal height on each heel, otherwise, as has 

 been stated with regard to the fore feet, the weight will not be fairly distributed over 

 the foot, and some part of the foot or the leg will materially suffer. The nails in the 

 hinder shoe may be placed nearer to the heel than in the fore shoe, because, from the 

 comparatively little weight and concussion thrown on the hinder feet, there is not so 

 much danger of contraction. 



DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOES. 



The shoe must vary in substance and weight with the kind of foot, and the nature 

 of the work. A weak foot should never wear a heavy shoe, nor any foot a shoe that 

 will last longer than a month. Here, perhaps, we may be permitted to caution tho 

 horse-proprietor against having his cattle shod by contract, unless he binds down his 

 farrier or veterinary surgeon to remove the shoes once at least in every month ; for if 

 the contractor, by a heavy shoe, and a little steel, can cause five or six weeks to inter- 

 vene between the shoeings, he will do so, although the feet of the horse must neces- 

 sarily suffer. The shoe should never be heavier than the work requires, for an ounce 

 or two in the weight of the shoe will sadly tell at the end of a hard day's work. This 

 is acknowledged in the hunting shoe, which is narrower and lighter than that of the 

 hackney, although the foot of the hackney is smaller than that of the hunter. It is 

 more decidedly acknowledged in the racer, who wears a shoe only sufficiently thick 

 to prevent it from bending when it is used, 



THE CONCAVE-SEATED SHOE. 



The proper form and construction of the shoe is a subject deserving of very senous 

 inquiry, for it is most important to ascertain, if possible, the kind of shoe that will do 

 the least mischief to the feet. A cut is subjoined of that which is useful and valuable 

 for general purposes. It is employed in many of our best forges, and promises 

 gradually to supersede tlie flat and the simple concave shoe, although it must, in manj 

 respects, yield to the unilateral shoe. 



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