THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 97 



treatment is much safer than the ordinary roughing, 

 whether it consists of frost nails or the shoes turned up. 

 If the latter, they are more dangerous than the frost nails, 

 as when in the stable the animal will often cut itself 

 by putting one foot on the other. Horses will often 

 lame themselves in this way. It is much safer and 

 cheaper in the long run to have the shoes made so that 

 the owner can put the screws in himself. Some people 

 may say, " Suppose the frost does not last long ? " Well, 

 that is so much the better. It is not very expensive 

 to have the shoes made so that the little screws can be 

 put in. If there come two or three frosty mornings it pays, 

 but when it comes a long frosty winter these shoes are a 

 great boon. When a horse keeps having his shoes taken 

 off, to be turned up or roughed, it soon weakens the 

 foot and breaks the hoof about a great deal. In fact 

 a horse with a tender foot often gets lamed and for the 

 time being is unfitted for work in consequence. Any 

 farrier can get these screws, they can be had in all sizes, 

 both for nag and cart horses. The shoes can be made 

 so that the screws will fit in properly, and there is no 

 difficulty with them whatever. In the long run it is much 

 safer and more economical to use them. 



Some people prefer shoes turned up at the heel, 

 saying it gives the horse extra power going up and down 

 hill. This may be alright for draught horses that do 

 no trotting, but these high heels jar the feet very much 

 when they trot. 



