NAILING. 287 



any chance become iimted again, but continue asunder and 

 unclosed, until bj degrees they grow down with the rest 

 of the hoof, and are ultimately, after repeated shoeings, re- 

 moved by the knife. 



If the clinches should happen to rise, they must be re- 

 placed without delay; as such rising imparts to the nails a 

 freedom of motion which is sure to enlarge the size of the 

 holes, — and this mischief is often increased by the violent 

 wrenching which the shoe undergoes from side to side in 

 the process of removal by the smith. 



Now as these holes cannot possibly grow down and be 

 removed under three shoeings, it will be found that even 

 with seven nails, the crust must always have twenty-one 

 of these separations existing in it at the same time ; and as 

 they are often from a variety of causes extended into each 

 other, they necessarily keep it in a brittle, unheal thj^ state, 

 and materially interfere with the security of the future 

 nail-hold. 



During the last six months I have arranged my five 

 nails upon this "system of one-sided nailing," and the re- 

 sult has been most satisfactory ; the shoes have not only 

 been firmly, but easily held to the feet, as is evidenced by 

 the clinches not having risen in one single instance, — a 

 clear proof that the struggle between the expansion of the 

 foot and the resistance of the shoe is entirely overcome by 

 this mode of fastening. This very desirable end appears 

 to be attained in the following manner : the outer side of 

 the foot, being the only part nailed to the shoe, carries the 

 whole shoe with it at every expansion ; while the inner 

 side, being unattached, expands independently of it, where- 

 by all strain upon the nails is avoided, and the foot is left, 

 with respect to its power of expansion, as nearly as pos- 

 sible in a state of nature. 



An unexpected benefit has arisen to one of my horses 



