SHOEING. 



721 



See Fig. 



" The shorter the shoe is, the less the horse slips, and the frog 

 has the same influence in j^reventing this that an old hat placed uii- 

 dcr our own shoes would have in protecting us from slijDping on 

 the ice.* * * 



" It is necessary, nevertheless, that hoofs which have weak walls 

 should be a little longer shod, so that the gradually thinning 

 branches reach to the heels, though not 

 resting upon them. For horses which 

 have convex soles, these long shoes 

 should also be used, and the toes should 

 be more covered to prevent the sole 

 touching the ground. This is the only 

 true method of preserving the foot and 

 restoring it. A horse which has its 

 feet weak and sensitive, ought to be 

 shod as short as possible, and with thin 

 branches, so that the frog comes in 

 contact with the ground; because the 

 heels, having nothing between them, 

 are benefited and relieved, 

 564. 



" Crescent shoes are all the more 

 needful for a horse M'hich has weak, 

 incurvated quarters, as they not only 

 relieve them, but also restore them to 

 theirnatural condition. Horses which 



have contusion at the heels (blains, corns), should also ])e shod in 

 this way; and for cracks (seins, sand-cracks) at the quarter, it is 

 also advantageous. 



"The solo or frog should never be pared; the wall alone should 

 be cut down, if it is too long. When a horse cuts himself with the 

 opposite foot, the inner branch of the shoe ought to be shorter and 

 thinner than the outer. 



"Easping the foot destroys the strength of the hoof, and 

 consequently causes its horn to become dr}^, and the horny laminae 

 beneath to grow Aveak; from this often arises an internal inflamma- 

 tion, which renders the foot painful, and makes the horse go 

 lame.* * * 



" When a horse loses a shoe, a circumstance often occurring, 

 and if the hoof is pared, the animal cannot walk a hundred steps 

 without going lame ; because in this state the lower surface of the 

 foot being hollowed, the horse's weight falls upon the crust, and 

 this, having no support from the horny sole, is quickly broken and 

 worn away ; and if he meets hard substances on the road, he all 

 the more speedily becomes lame. It is not so when the sole is 

 allowed to retain its whole strength. The shoe comes off, but the 

 sole and frog rest on the ground, assist the crust in bearing the 

 whole weight of the body, and the animal, though unshod, is able 

 to pursue his journey safe and sound. . . . It is necessaiy to 



Fig. 564. — Thiu shoe devised and 

 used by Lafosse. 



be convinced of another fact 



that 

 46 



IS, 



it is rare that a horse 



