EFFECTUAL PERSUASION. 81 



IGO.- -The foot can now be placed in the right position for 

 shoeing, by passing a common stirrnp leather under the pastern 

 close to the foot, and after giving it one turn round the pastern^ 

 bring the strap over the ham strings, six or eight inches from the 

 hock, and buckle it as required. When the smith wants to get 

 at the front of the hoof, to clinch the nails, the rope can be drawn 

 up tighter, and the strap adjusted for that purpose. 



Remember that the horse stands with difficulty on three legs^ 

 especially if very fat, and don't keep his leg up longer than 

 necessary. If the smith has to leave him for any purpose, let the 

 leg down, and draw it up again when he is ready. It will not be 

 lost labour, as it all helps to make a colt more tractable. 



161. — Xo such appliances are likely to be necessary with 

 a colt that has been handled in its infancy, and deliberately and 

 patiently broken, but it is far better to use them at once and 

 systematically, when any serious resistance is offered, than to 

 have any uncertain fighting with a colt, or to run any risk of 

 injuring a smith, or giving the smith any provocation to abuse 

 orilluse your colt, which might make him afraid of a smith's shop 

 all his life afterwards. 



162. — When a shoe is to be taken off it must not be 

 violently wrenched at the risk of splitting off a large piece of 

 hoof with it. Let the clinched ends of each nail be first turned 

 back. Then the shoe may be carefully raised with the pincers, 

 far enough to withdraw the nails, so that their heads may be 

 taken hold of by the pincers and each nail separately drawn. 



163. — The nails may also be drawn out, one at a time, so as 

 not to alter the position of the tip or shoe, and a fast nail made 

 to exactly fit the countersink in the shoe and to pass through 

 the same hole in the hoof may be driven in its place. 



In such seasons, latitudes and altitudes, that frozen icy roads 

 may be expected to frequently alternate with unfrozen roads, Mr. 

 Flemming's system of screwed or tightly and accurately fitting 

 steel plugs should be adopted. The shoes should have holes at 

 the heels and toes, and be tapped with female screws, as large as 

 the shoe will securely bear. Short, square headed, tight fitting, 

 steel plugs, the screws of which will not penetrate beyond the 

 F 



