370 THE FARM DOCTOR. 



preservation of the foot is of far more consequence than the 

 form of the shoe. The hoof must be preserved from knife and 

 rasp, excepting the Hne around its margin and lower surface on 

 which the shoe is to rest. This may be pared or rasped, as a 

 rule, until the elastic horn of the sole is reached, and forms, 

 with the lower border of the wall, a continuous smooth bearing 

 surface of a breadth equal to perhaps one and a half times, oi 

 twice the thickness of the latter. But this only in a perfect foot 

 One that has a ragged furrow between the sole and wall cannot 

 be treated in this way. Both sides, inner and outer, must be 

 left perfectly uniform in height The height of heel and toe 

 must be determined by the natural form of the foot, excess and 

 deficiency being alike avoided. As a rule paring has to be 

 done mainly or alone at the toe, but in some cases the heels 

 grow excessively as well. While avoiding paring out of the 

 heels and bars as the prolific cause of corns, we must equally 

 avoid the retention of hard flakes of horn in this situation, 

 where, imprisoned by the hoof-wall, the bar and the shoe, they 

 act as foreign bodies and bruise the heel, as would a stone or a 

 mass of hardened clay. That part of the sole which is un- 

 covered by the shoe may have the surface flakes removed with 

 a blunt instrument, but should never be touched with a knife. 

 The frog need never be touched, though there is no harm in 

 removing ragged hanging shreds and patches. The sharp edges 

 of the hoof-wall should be slightly rounded with a file to pre- 

 vent splitting. The shoe should be of a weight proportionate 

 to that of the horse and to the work expected of him, and of a 

 breadth of web adapted to the protection demanded by the 

 nature of the sole. Its upper or applied surface may be per- 

 fectly level, unless when an unhealthy convex sole demands 

 that it shall be levelled off toward its internal border. Its outer 

 border should exactly correspond to the margin of the hoot- 

 wall, without projecting beyond it, or requiring that the wall be 

 cut down to its dimensions. When applied the upper surface 



