216 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[chap. 



the web is broader than the bottom, or wearing 

 surface. (P. 1386.) A hunter's shoes are often 

 slightly bevelled, as it helps the horse to draw 

 the foot out of the sticky ground and lessens the 

 chance of the shoe being pulled off. Concave 

 shoes should be used on the fore feet of all horses 

 that " forge," otherwise concaving only makes 

 the wearing surface smaller. 



852. Roughing or Sharpening for Winter 

 Ty ear.— This consists in either screwing in 

 screws to ordinary shoes or in making special 

 shoes. In England, where one day is frosty and 

 another wet during the winter months, shoes are 

 punched and drilled ready to receive little 

 roughs, or sharp-headed screws. The best form 

 of screw for this purpose is one that is made of 

 good steel and has its centre harder than its out- 

 side, allowing it to wear more on the outside 

 than the centre, thus keeping the point always 

 sharp. A make, the " Neverslip," which claims 

 the above properties, is on the market. 



In Canada, directly the winter — which, as a 

 rule, lasts from three to four months, or longer 

 — threatens, most horses are shod with winter 

 shoes. P. 138c shows a typical saddle-horse 

 shoe for winter purposes ; this will also do for 

 light harness horses. It has a sharp calkin on 

 the outer heel and toe and a blunt calkin on the 

 inner heel, making the bearing on the ground 

 level ; the calkins should be of steel, let in, so 

 that they need not be too long. 



A certain amount of frog pressure is main- 

 tained on account of the horse treading on snow 

 most of the while ; but the web, which gets 

 practically no wear, can be made thinner, so 

 as to bring the frog as near to the ground as 

 possible. These shoes must be removed every 

 month, the foot dressed, and the shoe refitted. 

 As a rule, shoes will last two or three months 

 in the snow, and, therefore, can be refitted 

 several times. For heavy horses three larger 

 calkins can be used. I have ridden for several 

 winters almost daily along the snow- and ice- 

 covered asphalt pavements on young horses, and 

 have never had a horse slip down when wearing 

 the type of shoe shown in P. 138c. 



Ice-race shoes generally consist of wedge- 

 shaped calkins at the toe and both heels, fitted 

 either transversely or longitudinally at the heels. 

 The American or Canadian ice-shoe has generally 

 one broad wedge at the toe and one transverse 

 wedge (i.e. across the web) at each heel. 



853. Pavements. — From the point of view 

 of wear of a horse's legs, the softer or the more 

 muddy the roads are the better ; but for draught 

 horses, the harder and the more level the roads 

 are the easier is the draught. For this reason 

 saddle horses are best kept on the grassy sides 

 of country roads, and the roads themselves 

 should be macadamised. Macadam roads, of 

 course, would not wear sufficiently well in a 

 city, and it is the city pavement that meets with 



so many objections. On hills, smooth pavements 

 are not at all suitable for horses ; cobbles make 

 the best pavement. 



On level or nearly level streets two kinds 

 of pavement are used : tarred wood blocks or 

 Limmer asphalt. In London the former is 

 largely used, whilst in Toronto and most Cana- 

 dian and United States cities the latter finds 

 favour. Wood is easier for the horse's feet, but 

 is not so lasting, is not so easily kept clean, and 

 is more slippery after a little rain. 



Limmer asphalt is very hard for the feet in 

 winter, but is softer in very hot weather. In 

 frosty weather it is extremely slippery until 

 sufficient snow has fallen to give it a footing. 

 On the whole, I believe wood is the better for 

 horses, as it is so much softer ; but for level 

 running and for motor traction, the asphalt is 

 the better. Both wood and asphalt are easily 

 repaired where small patches have become 

 worn. 



The practice of allowing oil to drip from 

 motor engines on to the pavement is very 

 dangerous, and has in the past caused scores of 

 horses to slip. This practice should be prohibited 

 by law. Many cities in the States have by-laws 

 compelling all motors to carry dripping-pans 

 under the engine to collect grease and oil, and 

 thus eliminate the danger that the horse is sub- 

 jected to. The crown grade on streets should 

 be lowered, and the free distribution of sand in 

 slippery weather should be generally enforced. 



854. Common Faults in Shoeing. — Besides 

 those already dealt with, as rasping the outside 

 of the wall, rasping a notch for the clenchers, 

 rasping the clench, and paring the frog or sole, 

 etc., there is the common fault of lowering the 

 wall too much, so as to cause the inner edge of 

 the web to press against the edge of the sole. 

 The wall should be left a little below the sole. 



Dumping, as explained in Sec. 834, consists in 

 makmg the shoe a little smaller than the foot 

 and rasping the wall to fit the shoe — a most 

 contemptible and injurious practice. American 

 farriers generally use seven or eight nails, even 

 for light horses ; these are often necessary on 

 account of the manner in which they rasp the 

 walls and reduce their holding power. 



Excessive burning is another common fault, 

 which is done to save trouble and with the inten- 

 tion of getting a good fit. The opposite, as a 

 matter of fact, is the result, because the excessive 

 heat causes the horn to become so brittle that 

 it is unable to bear weight. Slight burning for 

 a very few seconds, as explained in Sec. 841, 

 will, however, do no harm and will make the 

 ends of the fibres waterproof. Excessive burning 

 also makes the foot harder for the farrier next 

 time he shoes the horse ; brittle horn is hard to 

 cut. 



855. Pricks. — Pricks consist of injuries to 

 the highly vascular, sensitive laminae from nails 



