340 ON PLATING RACE-HORSES. 



should be tough, and of the best quality ; and as it is 

 not necessary to drive them very high up in good feet, 

 the shorter they are, in reason, the better, as the 

 clinches will not be so coarse as a long nail; and this 

 is an object worth attending to, more particularly with 

 such horses as have thin crusts. The smith, having 

 carefully sized, straightened, and judiciously pointed 

 his nails, according to the sort of feet he is going to 

 drive them into, next commences putting on the plates. 

 If he takes but common care, there is not much diffi- 

 culty or danger to be apprehended in the driving the 

 nails into such feet as are strong, sound, and good. 

 But without the greatest care and attention possible on 

 the part of a good smith, difficulty will be encountered, 

 and danger is to be apprehended in driving nails into 

 weak, broken, and unsound feet. 



A smith, on putting plates on such feet, must be 

 very careful, and pitch his nails a little in, or out, so as 

 to give the proper direction to each nail in passing it 

 safely either low down or high up through such parts 

 of the wall or crust of the foot. As he approaches 

 towards the quarters and heels, it will be necessary for 

 him to reduce the size of the nails, not only to pre- 

 vent those parts from being much broken, but to give 

 to each nail here, of whatever size it may be, a safe 

 and secure hold ; or when it is necessary to get a hold 

 higher up in the foot, and when a common shoeing 

 nail is used for the purpose, the smith should take care 

 in beating out the nail, to draw it rather fine at the 



