ON PLATING RACE-HORSES. 339 



and with the other he should start the nails, and then 

 draw them out with the pincers one by one^ the shoe 

 would them immediately fall off. This is the way in 

 which the groom should insist on the horse's shoes 

 being taken off, so that the horn may be preserved as 

 much as possible. 



In putting on a race-horse's plate, it will be observed 

 that, if the horse's shoes should not have been removed 

 from his feet for the space of three weeks, the hoof 

 will, during that peiiod, have grown, and with the ac- 

 tion and weight of the horse, the shoe will, in some 

 degree, have imbedded itself into the foot. After the 

 shoe is taken off, nothing should be done to the foot if 

 it can be avoided, as (if the plate is made as I direct) 

 there will be a sort of seat or bed round the crust in 

 which the plate will lay, and this will in some measure 

 support and assist in keeping it in its place. How- 

 ever, it may sometimes be necessary, after the shoe is 

 off, to run the rasp very lightly round the lower edge 

 of the crust. If the groom and smith see that it is re- 

 quisite to remove a very small portion of horn, so as 

 to level the foot that the plate may have an even surface 

 to lay on, it must be done; but this is all that can 

 be wanting. The heels of weak feet should be kept 

 strong, that is to say, nothing should unnecessarily be 

 removed from them. 



Little need be said with regard to the nails which 

 are used in putting on plates. The sizes which are in 

 general use, are from No. 4 to No. 6, depending nuich 

 on the size of the foot, and weight of the plates. They 



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