BHOEI^O. 1 



AfO-pERN VETERINAET PRACTICE. 



[snoEiJfo. 



CUAITKU XXXV. 



SHOEING 



SnoFTNG, liko all other thiugs connoctcd willi 

 the liorso, has received coiisitlerablo iin- 

 provemeut3 within the last half century. In- 

 deed, the great improvement made in this 

 department of art, since the establishment of the 

 Royal Veterinary College, precludes the neces- 

 sity almost of olleriug an opinion at all on the 

 subject ; and the able works of Professor Cole- 

 man, Mr. Bracy Clark, and Mr. Groodwin, set 

 forth all that is necessary on the subject. A 

 few observations here, however, seem to be de- 

 manded from us. The anatomy of the foot 

 of the horse is now clearly understood, and 

 without such knowledge no man can shoo one 

 properly; and the benctit derived from this 

 knowledge cannot but rejoice those who recol- 

 lect the numbers of valuable animals that were 

 formerly crippled and rendered useless by igno- 

 rance of shoeing. The post-horses, stagers, and 

 hackney coach-horses, were composed princi- 

 pally of crippled horses, or such as were termed 

 groggy in the feet. These poor animals would 

 stand with their feet forward, or, as it is called, 

 pointing, in the greatest anguish, shifting from 

 foot to foot alternately, to gain a little ease, 

 their very countenances expressive of extreme 

 pain ; but now, comparatively, few so affected 

 are to be seen. With care, the foot may be 

 preserved to the last. Formerly, a young horse, 

 fresh from the breeder, \TOuld, in the space of 

 two years, have his feet gradually become unfit 

 and unsafe for any gentleman's riding, and in his 

 very prime he would be cast off to hard labour, 

 rendered more intolerable by increasing pain. 



Though the improved system has now become | 

 almost so general, that every person employed in 

 shoeing horses knows how it ought to be done ; 

 nevertheless, there should be, in practising it, 

 a degree of care >vhich some men will not 

 observe ; but will pursue their own way, and 

 fancy they know better than all the veterinary 

 surgeons in the world ; and, in spite of every 

 endeavour to teach them, they will do as 

 they like at last. It may be necessary to ap» 



l)riso the man who forges the shoe, whetlier 

 Lho horse is apt to interfere, which is called 

 e-utting ; or whether he over-reaches with his 

 hind foot, striking against his fore shoo ; which 

 is extremely unpleasant. These things may bo 

 prevented to a great extent, or, indeed, totally, 

 by making a proper shoe, and placing it accord- 

 ingly. The interfering is remedied by leaving the 

 inner heel as high as possible, and paring the 

 outer heel in moderation, whilst the inner heel 

 of the shoe is made thicker than the outer. This 

 raising of the inner heel throws the fetlock 

 joints outwards, or wider apart; which, with 

 that part of the toe that is liable to interfere, 

 pared close, and the shoe nowise projecting, 

 will prevent the interference, or what is called 

 cutting. 



The hind shoe striking against the fore, is 

 prevented by shortening the heel of the hind 

 shoes, so that the hind foot moves in unison with 

 the fore foot; for this striking arises, principally, 

 with heavy forehanded horses, that cannot get 

 their fore feet so quickly out of the way of the 

 hind; and produces that unpleasant noise 

 which arises from their striking, and which, at 

 times, is almost beyond bearing. 



AVhen horses, newly shod or removed, go 

 unsteadily or unsafe, which before went safe 

 and well, it is reasonable to suppose that the 

 shoes have not been put on properly. "We 

 have seen horses, on being removed from the 

 farrier's shop, go as if crippled at every step, 

 and, to all appearance, as if it were with the 

 greatest difficulty they could keep themselves 

 from falling down. The shoes may seem to 

 be put on right enough, and the nails may 

 appear to be properly driven in, so as not to 

 touch the sensitive part of the foot; but 

 the evil arises from the shoe not having an 

 equal bearing; that is to say, not equal at the 

 heels and at the toe: but we have no objec- 

 tion to the shoe bearing on the outer heel, 

 hut it should not, hy any means, hear on the heel 

 and quarters inside ; for if this be the case, 



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