64 THE ART OF HORSE-SHOEING. 



not be too wide or too thick. The point should not be- 

 too long or too tapered, as this leaves insufficient metal 

 to form a good clinch.. 



There are two methods of putting nail-holes into 

 shoes — by "fullering" and by "stamping." A stamped 

 shoe is one in which the nail-holes are merely punclied 

 at certain distances, so as to leave four- sided tapered 

 holes of the exact shape of a nail-head. A fullered shoe 

 is one having a groove round the circumference through 

 which the nail-holes are punched. Both processes, when 

 well done, admit of nails being driven into the hoof with 

 equal safety and ease. 



Whether stamped or fullered, there are a few more 

 important points to remember about the nail-holes. The 

 wall is not of the same thickness throughout, but 

 becomes thinner towards the heels. The inner side of 

 the foot is also somewhat thinner and more upright than 

 the outer. The safest position, then, for the nails is in 

 the front half of the foot, but should this position not 

 present sound horn, they may be placed further back. 

 The danger of placing nails near the heels is due entirely 

 to the greater risk in driving them through the thin horn. 

 There need be no fear of interfering with expansion. 



The distance of the nail-holes from the outer edge 

 of the shoe should depend upon the thickness of the horn 

 of the wall, and therefore be greater in large shoes than 

 in smaller, and greater at the toe than at the lieels of the 

 same shoe. When the nail-holes are all near to the cir-' 

 cumference of the shoe (Fig. 43 b) they are described as 

 "fine"; when they are all placed far from the edge 

 (Fig. 43 a) they are called "coarse." When the nail- 

 holes are too " fine," a nail has to be driven high up in 

 the wall to obtain a firm hold, and this is liable to split 

 the horn. When nail holes are too " coarse," the nail in 

 driving goes dangerously near the sensitive foot. The 

 evils of coarse and fine nailing depend a great deal upon 

 the method of fitting the shoes. When shoes are fitted 

 full to the foot (when the outer circumference of the 

 shoe is greater than the circumference of the wall) 

 *' coarse " nail-holes are brought to about their best posi- 



