THE HORSE S FOOT, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 28B 



which is the fashion of paring the lower face of the 

 foot. 



*'The chief objections to cold shoeing are the want of 

 solidity; the foot being made to fit the shoe, and the 

 process being more difficult and expensive. 



^'The defective solidity is patent to every one who has 

 had any experience in the matter. It is impossible to 

 level the ends of the horn-fibres so 'accurately that they 

 will all rest evenly on the surface of the iron : so, those 

 which are most prominent soon giving way to pressure, 

 the bed of the shoe is altered ; and this, becoming loose, 

 is either lost, or we have projecting clinches. And, 

 even should the fibres be made perfectly level, wet soft- 

 ens them, causing them to become pulpy and shorter, 

 by which means the seat of the shoe is impaired, and the 

 nails lose their firm hold of the wall. Ample experience 

 on active service, as well as that gathered at home 

 during peace, has demonstrated the instability resulting 

 from cold fitting. 



"Owing to the increased trouble and loss of time in- 

 curred by this method in attempts to make the shoe fit 

 somewhat accurately, but few farriers can afford or are 

 willing to resort to it. Hence, when it is practised, if 

 the shoe is at all like the foot, it is put on; and rasp and 

 knife insure the hoof being made to fit it. This pro- 

 ceeding is very injurious. 



"In hot fitting we have none of these objections. The 

 shoe is very readily adapted to the foot: it is more 

 equally applied, and rests solidly on the hoof, so that the 



