DISEASES OF THE FEET. 221 



for the road horse. The superior surface of the shoe bearing on 

 the sole is perfectly flat. The shoe at the heels is drawn down 

 to one-half the size, or less, of that of the toe. This allows the 

 shoe at the heels to rest upon the walls only. By the use of such 

 a shoe, all the weight-hearing parts are called to action. The 

 inferior concave surface of the shoe prevents slipping, the rim 

 and wedge-shaped frog grasping the ground. I have used this 

 shoe on the icy pavements of winter with excellent results. The 

 web of the shoe should be of such thickness that when the foot 

 is properly })ared the prominent part of the frog shall lie on a 

 level with its ground surface, so that in the descent of the sole 

 the frog shall come sutticiently on the ground to enable it to act 

 as a wedge, expanding the quarters, while the shoe will defend 

 it from the wear and injury it would receive if it came to the 

 ground with the first and full shock of the weight. 



.Much skill and time is necessary in leveling and fitting the 

 shoe to the foot. The method of applying the shoe after it has 

 been heated, somewhat below the red heat, to detect any little 

 elevations by the deep color of the burned horn, is a great as- 

 sistance in adjusting the shoe. If, however, the shoe is made to 

 burn its weight to its seat, as is done by the careless smith, with 

 little or no previous preparation of the foot, the heat must be 

 injurious both to the sensitive and insensitive parts of the foot. 

 Of the manner of attaching the shoe to the foot, the owner can 

 scarcely be a competent judge; he can only take care that the 

 shoe itself shall not be heavier than the work requires. Calks 

 and toe pieces should be done away with for all kinds of horses 

 except those .used for heavy draught in town where the streets 

 are paved and steep. All horses required to go beyond a walk 

 are injured by shoes with turned-up heels and toes. AVhcrc pos- 

 sible, all horses should be shod with flat shoes. Clips on the toe 

 and side of each shoe are useful for heavy horses, but should 

 only be used when circumstances absolutely require them. The 

 hind shoe should be made broader at the toe than the fore ones. 

 The hind toe is the point on which the animal jiropels itself, and 



