104 



when the shoe is about to be fixed on the foot, have a piece taken 

 out at the toe for the clip to get into, so that when the shoe is fixed 

 the hoof shall project over the shoe at the toe about a quarter to 

 five-sixteenths of an inch, then have the hoof rasped to the shoe in 

 a rounded form. 



Shoeing Restive Horses. — No. 1. — Try dressing the blacksmith in 

 groom's clothes, and shoeing at home instead of taking the animal 

 to the blacksmith's shop. Put a collar on, then fasten a waggon- 

 rope to it, and passing it round the hind fetlock, make the other end 

 fast also to the collar ; the horse may be blindfolded. 



No. 2.-^Let the smith undergo a thorough ablution, especially 

 his hair, &c., put on his wife's garments, and a pair of list shoes ; 

 take a pair of light clean-holed fore shoes in separate pockets, with 

 nails ready pointed (no knife, rasp, or anything that smells or sounds 

 like the forge), and a wooden mallet, pro hammer. Be sure the 

 nails are pointed and ready ; and after walking the horse about a 

 few turns, he can get one shoe on and then the other. Once done 

 always done. The point is to avoid the smell and noise. 



No. 3. — Let some one ride the horse into a building not the forge, 

 and remain mounted during the shoeing. The horse will often 

 remain quiet. 



TOPS, CLEANING. 



The following is said to be a good recipe for brown tops : — |-oz, 

 alkali root, 2oz. cream of tartar, loz. oxalic acid, loz. salt of sorrel, 

 loz. best rhubarb, mixed with a quart of boiling water. When 

 the tops are dry, polish them with a hard clean brush. Scour 

 previously with 2oz. oxalic acid in a quart of water. 



STABLE MANAGEMENT. 



AMMONIA IN STABLES. 



No. 1. — To prevent injury to the eyes of horses from the ammonia 

 arising from urine, procure a quantity of granulated or powdered 

 peat-charcoal. Moreover, the intermixture forms a most valuable 

 manure, and will amply repay the expense of the trivial alteration 

 which it will be expedient, but not indispensable, to make, by exca- 

 vating the centre and end of the stall to a depth of about twelve 

 inches, and partly filling up the excavation with the charcoal (the 

 communication from the centre to the end being by a simple drain), 

 which will entirely absorb and deodorise the gas. 



No. 2. — Keep in the stableacouple of pans filled with diluted hydro- 

 chloric acid, and all the ammonia will be absorbed as it is given off. 



