92 SHOEING THE HUNTER. 



which is nevertheless very little attended to. Many 

 persons will persist that the hardness of the roads de- 

 mand heavy shoes ; but this is a very vulgar error. 

 They demand, undoubtedly, shoes of better quality 

 of more steel in them but in no way heavier. 



As to the number of nails to be put in the shoe I am 

 inclined to place but little importance in either the many 

 or few nailed principle. The exact fitting of the shoe 

 is the point. It must neither be too long nor too short, 

 but should exactly fit the bars, and should, with the 

 bars, incline and converge to the heels, and not go out 

 straight from the lateral angle of the hoof as some very 

 simple people think proper, considering it probable that 

 the hoof will, by a sort of magnetic attraction, oblige 

 them by following the same course as the shoe ; which 

 is, of course, utterly ridiculous, as is proved both by 

 theory and practice. 



Unless the shoe exactly fit the foot there cannot be 

 an even pressure ; and if there be not an even pressure, 

 the weight must be borne unduly by some particular 

 part which is only able and intended to bear a certain 

 proportion of that weight. 



The consequence of such shoeing must be patent to 

 every one. If the horse cut his ankles, either before 

 or behind, the only preventive will be a double piece of 

 leather encircling the ankle, and not a patent thing in- 

 tended to fit on the precise part interfered with, but which, 

 as every horseman must know who has tried them, does not 

 keep its position, but is hit round and generally pulled off 

 after the strap has made a sore place above the ankle. 



