SHOEING AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FEET. 317 



a remark he has made on an opinion of Mr. Bracy Clark, in 

 which I perfectly agree with him. " Mr. B. Clark prefers the 

 common to the countersink head, believing that it leaves a de- 

 gree of room between the shoulder of a nail arid the shoe for the 

 EXPANSION OF THE HOOF. I confess I should not like to com- 

 mence a journey if there was any play between the shoe and the 

 hoof; as it must be quite clear that, under such circumstances, 

 a shoe could not remain on long. In the seated shoe there is 

 not that strain on the nails and in the clenches that there is in 

 the common (hollow or concave foot surface, like the French) 

 shoe ; for the crust, instead of bearing on an edge, bears on a 

 flat surface." 



There is but little difficulty in adapting a shoe to a sound 

 foot ; that is, a foot that has a sound well-formed frog, open 

 heels, good bars, strong and rather concave sole, and a strong 

 well-formed crust or wall. To such foot, the best shoe that can 

 possibly be applied is that which has for many years been em- 

 ployed in the Royal Di-agoons. I may have made some devia- 

 tion from the form which was employed, and so may others ; but 

 the following is that which I now recommend. The shoe should 

 be from half an inch to five eighths of an inch thick, all round 

 from toe to heel, and of the same width, except at the heel, 

 where it should be three fourths of an inch wide. The nail holes 

 should be made somewhat similar to those of 

 the French shoe, and the nails driven in a 

 similar direction. When a foot deviates from 

 the sound form, the shoe must be shaped ac- 

 cordingly. If the sole is in any degree flat 

 and thin, the wide hollow shoe is absolutely 

 Bar Shoe (foot sifie). neccssary.* 

 a, A piece of leather If the heels are tender, and have coi'ns, the 



in-order to^ \ear ^^^ ^^'"^ ^^ ^^^® ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ applied: and 

 upon the frog. the tender heel, including part of the quarter, 



* No general rule can be laid down as to either the weight of the shoe or 

 its width, as this must be governed by the peculiarity of the foot and the 

 severity and character of the work of the horse. Saddle horses require nar- 

 rower shoes than harness horses, and particularly if they are used for hunting. 

 The purpose of wide shoes is to protect the sole and to diminish concussion ; 

 they are therefore necessary to eifect the former object in flat feet, and also 

 for tlie latter purpose on the road. 



The Leather Sole. — For weak feet the leather sole is found particularly 

 useful. It is thus described in my work on the " Foot and Leg of the 

 Horse :" — "It consists of a piece of leather cut exactly the shape of the shoe, 

 covering the sole and frog, and applied between the foot and shoe. In the 

 application of the sole it is requisite, first, to soak it in water a short time, in 

 order to render it more elastic and softer, and to apply a stopping to the sole 

 so disposed as to fill up the vacancies between the bar and frog, so as to pre- 

 vent any gravel or dirt penetrating. The stopping we have found best adapted 

 and most convenient, is composed of two parts of tar and one of fat 



