CHAPTER VII. 

 Fitting' and Application of Shoes. 



Having selected slioes suitable for the feet and 

 -adapted to the special work of the horse, having also 

 prepared the foot for shoeing, we arrive at another 

 important part of the farrier's art— fitting the shoe. No 

 matter what form of shoe be used or how the foot be 

 prepared for it, unless the two are properly fitted, the 

 horse does not obtain all the advantages of good shoeing, 

 and may be positively injured. The owner of horse& 

 seldom knows anything about the fitting of shoes, and 

 therefore fails to appreciate how some of his directions 

 concerning feet and shoes are qiiite impracticable. 



I have, in a previous chapter, attempted to show 

 how a foot should be prepared for shoeing, and what 

 bearing surface should be left for the shoe. I have also 

 described what I consider the best forms of shoe. The 

 object, at all times, should be to follow nature as closely 

 as possible, but it often happens that we may, with 

 benefit, depart from the exact indications given and still 

 fulfil all essential requirements. If we examine the 

 unshod foot which has been worn down to proper pro- 

 portions, we find the bearing surface is not level — it is 



Fig. 48.— Shoe fitted to a curved foot-surface. 



worn more at the toe and heels than elsewhere. If we 

 examine the ground surface of an old shoe the same 

 thing is noticed — the surface is not level, the toe and heel 

 show most wear. The question then arises, should we 

 make the artificial bearing surface of the foot on the 

 same plan and adjust the shoe to it, as in Fig. 48, or 



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