FORM OF GROUND-SUEFACE OF SHOE. 



137 



shoe a greater range of usefulness ; and fourthly, it facilitates 

 the renewal of nails. 



It is scarcely necessary to say that a shoe which is intended 

 for fullering must be forged with an oblif[ue outer border, as 

 otherwise the outer under edge would be driven too far out- 

 wards by the fuller. 



Opinions, both of authors and practitioners, vary greatly as 

 to the form of the outer border of the shoe. Some believe 

 that the border of the shoe, when the latter is in position, 

 should run obliquely downwards and outwards, as though it 



FiU. 89.— Cross sections of four fullered shoes. 1. Fullering bad, 

 inner wall being too upright. 2. Good. [This is a rolled sec- 

 tion of iron. In hand-made shoes the bottom of fullering is 

 sharper.] 3. Faulty ; the fullering being too broad for its 

 depth. 4. Very faulty ; inner wall inclining inwards. 



formed a prolongation of the hoof. Others are of opinion that 

 it should be rounded ofit', as a round border is best calculated to 

 diminish brushing and other like injuries. As a rule, the outer 

 border should run downwards and inwards, that is, the circum- 

 ference of the shoe should be slightly smaller at the ground 

 than at the hoof surface ; otherwise the width may cause 

 striking, the shoe will be heavier, and there will be increased 

 danger of its becoming loose, or even being cast in soft, heavy 

 ground. Exceptions, nevertheless, occur, and will, later, be 

 dealt with in the chapter on Fitting. The inner border should 

 be smooth and rounded off above and below or dished. 



