HORSE-TRAINING MADE EASY. 95 



not more than the twentieth part of an inch; 

 otherwise more harm than good will be likely to 

 follow its application. 



PREPARING THE FOOT FOR THE SHOE. 



This, as a mechanical operation, requires a man 

 >f good, sound judgment to properly perform his 

 work. The growth of the hoof is about equal to 

 Its wear when the animal remains unshod, other- 

 wise the hoof would be worn too short or become 

 too long. Our object, then, in paring the foot, 

 is to remove so much of the hoof as would have 

 been worn away had not the shoe prevented such 

 wear. Any deviation from this rule causes the 

 feet to become unusually long, the sole thick, &c., 

 causing the animal to stumble at almost every 

 step. In preparing the foot for the shoe, after 

 carefully removing any old stubs that might re- 

 main, the crust should be lowered with the rasp 

 from the toe to the heels, the sole then should 

 be pared with the drawing-knife in preference to 

 the buttress. The feet should be poulticed the 

 night before being shod, with linseed meal ; this 

 will so soften the hoof as to enable the smith to 

 pare the feet without difficulty. Care must be 

 taken to remove a portion of the horn between 

 the crust and bars, so that the heels of the crust 

 should be higher than the heels of the sole. The 

 bars will simply require cleaning out, removing 

 any loose portions without diminishing their 

 strength. All ragged portions of the frog should 

 be removed, but the frog must by no me.-sns be 



