538 AMEEICAN FARMEE'S HORSE BOOK. 



accommodate his paring to the comparative wear o. the 

 heels, and be exceedingly careful to leave them precisely 

 level. 



" If the reader will recollect what has been said of the in- 

 tention and action of the bars, he will readily perceive that 

 the smith should be checked in his almost universal fond- 

 ness for opening the hqels, or, more truly, removing that 

 which is the main impediment to contraction. The portion 

 of the heels between the inflexion of the bar and the frog 

 should scarcely be touched — at least the ragged and detached 

 parts alone should be cut away. The foot may not look so 

 fair and open, but it will last longer without contraction. 



"The bar, likewise, should be left fully prominent, not only 

 at its first inflexion, but as it runs down the side of the frog. 

 The heel of the shoe is designed to rest partly on the heel of 

 the foot and partly on the bar, for reasons that have already 

 been stated. If the bar is weak, the growth of it should be 

 encouraged; and it should be scarcely touched when the 

 horse is shod, unless it has attained a level with the crust. 

 The reader will recollect the observation which has already 

 been made, that the destruction of the bars not only leads 

 to contraction by removing the grand impediment to it, but 

 by adding a still more powerful cause in the slanting di- 

 rection which is given to the bearing of the heels when the 

 bar does not contribute to the support of the weight. 



" It will also be apparent that the horn between the crust 

 and the bar should be carefully pared out. Every horseman 

 has observed tlie relief which is given to the animal lame 

 with corns when this angle is well thinned! This relief, 

 however, is often but temporary, for when the horn grows 

 again, and the shoe presses upon it, the torture of the horse 

 is renewed. 



"The degree of paring to which the frog must be subjected 

 will depend on its prominence and on the shape of the foot. 

 The principle has already been stated that it must be left so 

 far projecting and prominent that it shall be just within and 

 above the lower surface of the shoe; it will then descend 



