194 HORSE-SHOEING. 



driving of the nails necessitates their being withdrawn several 

 times before they are properly implanted, and as each nail, how- 

 ever carefully it may be placed in the wall at the first attempt, is 

 a source of injury by splitting asunder and perforating the fibres, 

 it follows that when several attempts have to be made the injury 

 is proportionately increased. 



A short thick hold of the wall is better than a long thin one. 

 If possible, no more horn should be included within the grasp of 

 the nail than is likely to be removed at the following shoeing. 

 By this means the wall is constantly maintained sound. 



A foot allowed to grow strong in the manner I have described, 

 will suffer no inconvenience in having the nails driven tightly 

 into the shoe and hoof after they have been placed in the wall. 



Where the hoof is thin, as at the quarters and heels of the fore- 

 foot, smaller and more slender nails must be used, and these must 

 be less tightly driven. The toe nails should be first hammered 

 home firmly, then the quarter and heel nails lightly. Every nail 

 should form a part of the shoe, and the head should barely pro- 

 ject above it ; when all are solidly disposed, they must be tightly 

 " drawn up " at the ends (the points having been twisted off 

 previously) by means of the hammer and pincers, using the same 

 graduated degree of force as in driving them home. 



Conclusion of the Operation. — Nothing then remains ts be done 

 but to bend down or " clench " the portion of nail so drawn up on 

 the face of the wall. This should be accomplished by shortening 

 the fragment to a proper length by the rasp, so as to leave just 

 enough to turn over ; the rasp also removes the small barb of 

 horn raised in drawing up the nail, but without making a notch, 

 and then the clench is laid down evenly. No more rasping or 

 cutting should be allowed on any pretext whatever. 



