156 HORSH MANAGEMENT IN INDIA. 



leaving an overlapping rim of crust at the toe, which 

 should be rounded off with the rasp so in order to 

 lessen the chance of over-reaching. 



The shoes should be made to project slightly beyond 

 the ends of the heels, though, of course, not to 

 an extent that would render them liable to the risk 

 of being caught if on the fore-feet by the hind, so 

 that advantage be taken of the hard heels of the foot 

 to support pressure. If the shoes be set slightly with- 

 in the heels, it will be found, when the time for re- 

 moving comes round, that, owing to the growth of the 

 foot, the heels of the shoe will have become imbedded 

 into the softer horn in front, so that it will be 

 impossible to keep the profile of the foot at its proper 

 slope. 



Native shoeing-smiths, to save themselves trouble, 

 will, almost always, if ordered to supply thick heeled 

 shoes, bring ordinary ones, whose heels they have thicken- 

 ed by simply reducing the breadth of the web by ham- 

 mering, instead of getting shoes made expressly for the 

 purpose required. As they manufacture neither shoes 

 nor nails, but get them ready made from the mistree 

 (blacksmith), there is usually some difficulty in induc- 

 ing them to adopt any new ideas concerning the 

 shape of shoes. 



I cannot too strongly condemn the practice, that is 

 carried on in some forges, of always applying thick 

 heeled shoes. To such an extent is this observed, 

 that I have often seen the heels of sound strong feet 

 cut down, in order to fit these shoes. Their habitual 

 use is never necessary, except in the case of disease, 



