74 THE ART OF HORSE-SHOEING. 



foot. What is called "close" fitting, i. e., bringing the 

 shoe rather within the circumference of the wall, is 

 injurious, as it loses the best and strongest bearing of the 

 wall, and permits the farrier to give an appearance of 

 neatness by rasping away any horn which protrudes 

 beyond the shoe. On a well-shaped foot, the shoe should 

 follow the outer line of the hoof from toe to heel, but 

 where the heels of a foot are turned inwards, there is an 

 advantage in fitting the shoe wider at the heels, as by sO' 

 doing the base of the foot is not constricted and a wider 

 resting surface is afforded to the limb. When a shoe is- 

 fitted wide at the heels, it is essential that the foot-sur- 

 face of the shoe should be level at the heels. If it be 

 inclined, as it often is in seated shoes, a very grave defect 

 in the fitting results, for the heels have no level bearnig- 

 surface. 



A shoe fitted too wide is liable to be trodden off by 

 the opposite foot, or it may cause the horse to hit the- 

 opposite fetlock joint. 



Provided the nail holes are properly placed, when the 

 outside border of the shoe is fitted nicely to the circum- 

 ference of the hoof, they are brought to their right posi- 

 tion. When nail holes are placed too near or too far 

 from the outer border of the shoe — i.e., when they are 

 too "fine" or too "coarse" — it may be necessary to 

 correct their position by fitting the shoe "closer" or 

 " fuller," as the case may be. When a farrier fits shoes- 

 made by another man he may overlook this, as we are 

 all slaves to habit. The man who in his daily practice 

 combines "close" fitting with "fine" nailing has ta 

 alter his routine when fitting a shoe with coarse nail- 

 holes. 



The length of a shoe at the heels is a matter of more 

 importance than is generally recognized. As a rule, 

 hunters are all shod too short, while most cart horses are 

 shod too long. The objections to a long front shoe are 

 that it is liable to be trodden off by the hind shoe, and 

 that it may injure the elbow when the horse lies down. 

 A long hind shoe is free from both these disadvantages,. 

 and as it usually has a calkin, is the best form to adopt.. 



