CHAPTER XV. 



HOW TO SHOE A HOKSE. 



. "DNSKILFUL SHOERS — ANATOMY OF THE FOOT ILLUSTRATED— THE FOOT OP 

 A COLT — PREPARATION OF THE FOOT — REMOVING THE OLD SHOE— PARING 

 THE FOOT — THE SHOE— FITTING THE SHOE — NAILING — NUMBER OF NAILS — 

 DISEASES OF THE FOOT. 



Although it is an almost universal custom to entrust the 

 shoeing of horses to the Knight of the Hammer and 

 Tongs who happens to be nearest to one's stable, and to 

 pay but little regard to the manner in which the work is 

 done, there are very few who are not ready to admit that 

 the operation is frequently performed in an unskilful man- 

 ner, and that their horses would be more serviceable, and 

 would perform their work with much greater comfort to 

 tbemselves, if their owners knew exactly how and when 

 the shoeing should be done ; and would insist on its being 

 done at the right time, and in the right manner. 



There is hardly auy other class of mechanics who com- 

 bine so much ignorance of the principles on which their 

 art is founded, with so much conceit of their knowledge, 

 as do ordinary horse-shoers ; and it should be one of the 

 first duties of the horse owner to inform himself of the 

 construction and nature of the horse's foot, the reasons why 

 shoeing is necessary at all, what parts of the foot it pro- 

 tects, what is the best form of shoe to effect the purpose, 

 how it may be best fastened to the foot, and how often it 

 should be removed. 



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