General Instructions and Comments. 



One of the first essentials for the smith— the horse- 

 shoer— to enable him to practice, with the desired 

 success, on the points laid down in these instructions, 

 is a fairly smooth level floor to his shop. If he has not 

 such, and cares not to goto the expense of laying one, 

 he can have a platform made, say about 10 feet by 5 

 feet, that he can use as he wishes, and place at one 

 side w^hen not required for use. This certainly would 

 not put him to great expense. Have such a platform 

 made of fairly clear stuff, that is, free from knots, so 

 that it will wear and keep comparatively smooth. 



Abusing- Horses at the Shop. 



Patience is a virtue and an essential for a horse- 

 shoer. Remember it is a dumb animal that is being 

 dealt with ; he cannot talk and inform the smith that 

 it hurts him to stand on one foot while he is prepar- 

 ing the other and opposite one to be shod. The 

 crowding on the nerves at the base affects the whole 

 nerve system to its entire centre and the poor animal 

 is in the same nervous condition that human beings 

 often are. Therefore, be patient in the work of shoe- 

 ing their feet and wider no circumstances ever strike a 

 horse in the shoeing shop and particularly never about the 

 head. Firmness, but kindness, will accomplish more 

 than harsh treatment. The natural disposition of the 

 horse is to do what is right and in nearly all cases 

 where they do not behave well, it arises from having 

 been abused, or from not having been taught to 

 understand what is wanted of them. It may at times 

 be necessary to use a "twitch " on the nose of restive 

 colts and nervous horses, but don't abuse the use of it 

 and don't abuse them in any way. 



Regular Form for Shoes. 



When the feet are fairly sound, true and level, need- 

 ing no peculiar style of shoes, always shoe them with a 

 plain shoe of even thickness from heel to heel, the hind 

 feet as well as the fore ones, except in "sharpening." 



One of the errors of horseshoe making, in nearly all 

 machine as also most of the hand-made ones, is that 



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