532 SHOEING. 



springy under the pressure of your thumb. Try it your- 

 self, for the hard thumb of the smith is no certain test. 

 The sole should be pared out till a gentleman's child can 

 make it yield ; and never mind although a little blood do 

 ooze through, and hang upon the surface like drops of 

 sweat upon a reaper's brow. Then have the frog cut away 

 till it is smooth, and all the exposed horn be perfectly 

 healthy : cut away, even until all the horn is removed, so 

 long as any whitish powder remains. Do not have the wall 

 touched, farther than to lower the margin of the crust that 

 rested upon the shoe. With regard to the bars, give no 

 directions about such folly. Allow the shoeing smith to 

 use his will, whether they shallbe left prominent or cut 

 away : then have a stopping of tow and tar applied ; over 

 this see there be placed a leathern sole, which is nothing 

 more than a piece of thick leather fixed between the foot 

 and the shoe ; but mind the leather is sound and new, as 

 smiths are apt to buy old stuff, which they assure us 

 answers very well for this purpose : however, where the 

 horse's huge weight has to be sustained, we imagine the 

 leather cannot well be either too new or too strong. Then 

 have the shoe applied, and mind it is made after the fashion 

 recommended by Mr. Turner, of Regent-street ; that is, let 

 it have the full number of holes upon the outer quarter, 

 but only one, or at most two, upon the inner quarter. This 

 freedom allowed to the inner quarter does not prevent the 

 horn from expanding, but it permits a certain amount of 

 play which keeps the internal parts healthy, and hinders 

 their secretion (the horn) from diminishing. 



Into the space left at the heels, between the frog and bars 

 and the leather, at least once a week, have poured in a mix- 

 ture of tar, and whale, seal, nut, or rape oil, in equal pro- 

 portions ; and when the tow is saturated, enough has 

 been used for one occasion. Most nag horses, not much 

 worked, will require their shoes removed every third week, 

 and to be reshod every sixth week. But with regard to 

 those whose work is both fast, heavy, and constant, not- 

 withstanding the smith may load on the iron, and tip with 

 steel, they will only endure from four days to three weeks ; 

 when either at the longer or the shorter period a change 

 will be demanded. Such is the difference of tread in 



