104 



SHOEING. 



by the general employment of tlie picker, rather to afford harbor to hurt- 

 ful particles than to protect the sole from injury. That the shoe be made 

 only just wide enough to afford bearing to the wall of the hoof, and to 

 allow sufficient room for the nail holes to pierce the substance of the 

 iron. The crust was designed to sustain the weight of the animal's 

 body, and the most ignorant smith would not think of permitting the 

 entire burden to bear upon the sole. A space large enough to give 

 room for the nails and to provide an ample rest for the wall of the hoof 

 is all that can be of use ; and, being so, all additional width only renders 

 the shoe of an unnecessary weight. 



The use of the sole is well known to be distinct from directly support- 

 ing any portion of the body ; but it may be of all service in upholding 

 occasional weight. That other parts receive the primary burden, is 

 illustrated in the forge every day — it being an ordinary custom with 

 the smith to pare the sole of the foot till it yields readily to pressure 

 from the man's thumb, or until blood oozes through every pore of the 

 structure. A further proof of this is the custom of removing a portion 

 of sole when the animal chances to be bled from the foot ; also, by the 

 veterinary surgeon, without hesitation or fear of consequence, taking 

 away large pieces of the horn whenever the sole happens to be bruised 

 and under-run. The function of the sole is to endue the tread with 

 spring and elasticity ; that it may perform its proper office, the removal 

 of it from all possibility of hinderance to its freedom of motion becomes 

 a necessity. This requirement is best complied with by allowing the 

 part to remain so high as anticipates all possibility of its coming in 

 contact with either the web of the shoe or the ground. 



Nature makes nothing in vain ; or, in other words, every part which 

 she creates has its destined uses. To recog- 

 nize such a maxim, and then to employ a 

 smith to destroy the horny sole which nature 

 provided, is to acknowledge wisdom, but to 

 follow ignorance. At all events, putting 

 every appeal to higher principles of action on 

 one side, let mere cunning or let worldly 

 prudence decide the point. The present 

 method has been tried, and has lamentably 

 failed; consequently it is proved an annoy- 

 ance which countenances any feasible change. 

 But those who are prejudiced in favor of 

 the usual proceedings may exclaim against 

 the annihilation of the web, and talk about 

 the need of protecting the sole. The old Enghsh shoe (in which tho 



HXUSTEATING HOW LARGE AND SMALL 

 STONES BECOME IMPACTED BETWEEN 

 THE SOLE AND THE WEB OP THE SHOE. 



