FITTING THE SHOE. 283 



smith as to what should be the form of the horse's foot. 

 No amount of paring can bring the foot of a horse to an 

 unnatural figure, and leave it sound and safe to work 

 with. Miles says : 



The truth really is, that the shape of the shoe cannot 

 by possibility influence the shape of the foot ; for the foot, 

 being elastic, expands to the weight of the horse in pre- 

 cisely the same degree, whether it be resting upon the 

 most open or the most contracted shoe: it \b ihQ situation 

 of the nails, and not the shape of the shoe, that determines 

 the form of the foot. If the nails be placed in the outside 

 quarter and toe, leaving the heels and quarters of the in- 

 side, which are the most expansive portions, free, no shape 

 that we can give to the shoe can of itself change the form 

 of the foot. I would not however be "understood to mean, 

 that the shape of the shoe is therefore of no importance ; 

 for I trust I have already proved the contrary. Seeing 

 then that the shape of the foot is in no way changed by 

 the form of the shoe, both wisdom and interest would 

 prompt us to adopt that form which possesses the greatest 

 number of advantages with the fewest disadvantages. 



A small clip at the point of the toe is very desirable as 

 preventing displacement of the shoe backwards ; it need 

 not be driven up hard ; it is merely required as a check 

 or stay. The shoe should be sufficiently long fully to 

 support the angles at the heels, and not, as is too often the 

 case, so short, that a little wear imbeds the edge of it in 

 the horn at these parts. The foot surface of the shoe 

 should always have a good flat even space left all around 

 for the crust to bear upon ; for it must be remembered, that 

 the crust sustains the whole weight of the horse, and needs 

 to have a perfectly even bearing everywhere around the 

 shoe. In this space the nail-holes should be punched, and 

 not, as is too often the case, partly in it, and partly in the 



