THE PUTTING ON OF THE SHOE. 315 



our readers, the observation which we have made in page 283, that the 

 destruction of the bars not only leads to contraction by removing a power- 

 ful impediment to it, but by adding a still more powerful cause in the 

 slantino- direction which is given to the bearing at the heels, when the bar 

 does not contribute to the support of the weight. 



It will also be apparent that the horn between the crust and the bar 

 should be carefully pared out. Every horseman has observed the relief 

 which is given to the animal latne with corns when this angle is well 

 thinned ; a relief, however, which is but temporary, for when the horn 

 o-rows again and the shoe presses upon it, the torture of the animal is 

 renewed. 



The degree of paring to which the frog must be subjected will depend 

 on its prominence, and on the shape of the foot. The principle has already 

 been stated, that it must be left so far projecting and prominent, that it 

 shall be just within and above the lower surface of the shoe, it will then 

 descend with the sole, sufficiently to discharge the functions which we 

 have attributed to it. If it be lower, it will be bruised and injured ; if it be 

 hio-her, it cannot corne in contact with the ground, and thus be enabled to 

 do its duty. The ragged parts must be removed, and especially those 

 occasioned by thrush, but the degree of paring must depend entirely on 

 this principle. 



It appears, then, that the office of the smith requires some skill and judg- 

 ment in order to be properly discharged ; and the horse proprietor will find 

 it his interest occasionally to visit the forge and complain of the careless, or 

 idle, or obstinate, and reward, by some trifling gratuity, the expert and 

 dilio-ent. He should likewise remember that a great deal more depends 

 on the paring out of the foot than on the construction of the shoe ; that 

 few shoes, except they press upon the sole, or are made outrageously bad, 

 will lame the horse ; but that he may be very easily lamed from ignorant 

 and improper paring out of the foot. 



THE PUTTING ON OF THE SHOE. 



The foot being thus prepared, the smith looks about for a shoe. He 

 should select one that as nearly as possible fits the foot, or may be altered 

 to the foot. He will sometimes care little about this, for he can easily 

 alter the foot to the shoe. The toe-knife is a very convenient instrument 

 for him, and plenty of horn can be struck off with it, or removed by the 

 rasp, to make the foot as small as the shoe ; while he cares litUe, although 

 by this destructive method the cr-ust is materially thinned where it should 

 receive the nail, and the danger of puncture is increased, and the danger of 

 pressure upon the sole is increased, and a foot so artificially diminished in 

 size will soon grow over the shoe, to the hazard of considerable or perma- 

 nent lameness. 



While choosing the shoe we must once more refer to the shape of our 

 pattern shoe ; the web is of equal thickness from toe to heel. A shoe, 

 thinner at the heel than at the toe, by letting down the heel too low, is apt 

 to produce sprain of the flexor tendon, and a shoe thicker at the heels 

 than at the toe is fit only to elevate the frog, to the destruction of its 

 function, and to its own certain disease, and also to press upon and to 

 batter and to bruise that part of the foot which is soonest and most des- 

 tructively injured. 



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