SHOEING. 



675 



used to term them, were well opened, the quarters rasped thin, and to 

 give it the better chance of expansion, a deep longitudinal channel 

 Avas cut Avith the drawing- 

 knife, down the front of the 

 hoof, that it might have no 

 resistance to the expansion of 

 the sides ; further, to assist 

 these measures of dilating the 

 heel, they were drawn very 

 thin, and the bars as much 

 as possible clear froni the 

 sides of the frog 



" In the course of making 

 these experiments, a circum- 

 stance occurred which gave 

 me much satisfaction, for I 

 found that if the horn of the 

 bars or inflexures of the hoof 

 were pared awa}'' from the 

 sides of the frog, it greatly 

 contributed to the pleasant 

 ness of his going." — pp. 104, 

 109. 



Fig. 503. — Coleman's convex shoe. 



Many other passages of 



this description could be included, if desired. Of late years there 



have been many parties traveling tluough the country, claiming 



to cure contraction and 

 all diseases of the feet, by 

 sawing into the heel, and 

 Avitli the screw oi- other 

 means violently spread- 

 ing the quarters apart, 

 subjecting the poor ani- 

 mal to so much pain and 

 torture by the operation 

 that frequently ho oould 

 not stand up for many 

 days. This was regard- 

 ed as a matter of no con- 

 sequence, as the horse 

 would soon get over it. 



The main point was to get all the money they could, and get out. 

 Contraction is induced by six different causes, all acting more 



or less upon each other to aggravate the difficulty : 1. Trimming 



Fig. 503. — Bracy Clark's hinge shoe. 



