322 THE HORSE 



horses and of individual horses come in contact with the 

 road, as it will help to determine how the feet should be 

 pared and shod. The shoes of the horse of quick move- 

 ment should be rather light and not so thick or broad of 

 web as those of draft -horses. The narrow web exposes 

 the frog to wear more than the wide one does. Some 

 contact of the frog with the earth is desirable and really 

 necessary. If the shoe be somewhat thin, especially near 

 the toe -calk, it will permit the heel to expand slightly. 

 Sometimes it is well to cut it in two in the middle, and 

 make two half plates of it. This method of shoeing 

 gives the greatest possible opportunity for expansion 

 of the heel. Sometimes the ends of the shoe, after it is 

 set, are slightly expanded by the use of a strong pair of 

 tongs; but this practice is not to be recommended. It 

 is seldom that the sound foot is benefited by the use 

 of the bar- shoe. When the feet are abnormal, diseased 

 or injured, do not trust your own or the blacksmith's 

 opinion, but consult a veterinarian. In fact, all veteri- 

 narians should have facilities for shoeing horses that 

 have imperfect or diseased feet. 



A third instruction should be, Fit the shoe to the 

 foot and not the foot to the shoe. Use the lightest nails 

 that will hold the shoe in place a reasonable length 

 of time. Some horses should be shod semi-monthly; 

 others need not have their shoes removed more than 

 once every twenty or thirty days. The character of the 

 foot and the work performed should determine the 

 length of time a shoe should be worn. And, lastly, give 

 strict injunctions not to rasp or polish or beautify the 

 outside of the hoof. Nature has provided not only a 



