214 THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 



A to a'. Although this may be very little on each occasion 

 it becomes an important quantity when multiplied several 

 hundred times, and quite suffices to convert a losing into a 

 winning race. The exertion and risk of strain are naturally 

 greater, but are of little importance when contrasted with the 

 gain. 



Heavy horses with tumed-in toes go best in rather heavy 

 shoes with broad outside quarter, fitted rather ' full ' and with 



D 



A A' 



Fia. 207. 



nail holes punched somewhat coarser than usual. This gives a 

 broader bearing surface outside. 



It is scarcely needful to say that, in choosing a shoe, the 

 position and direction of the nail holes must be taken into 

 account, as well as its form, a point of great importance in 

 shoeing defective feet. 



Viewed from the ground surface a well-made front shoe is 

 seen to be rounded in form, almost as broad as long, the two 

 branches of approximately equal length, the inner, however, 

 being somewhat less round. 



The cover is almost the same throughout, the toe and 

 quarters, which sustain the severest wear, being rather 

 broader than the branches ; the nail holes are suitable in size 

 and number to the class of shoe and placed so as not to be 

 injured by drawing the clip ; the two toe-nails are in a line 

 with each other, at equal distances from the centre of the 

 toe, and punched somewhat obliquely; the last nail holes 

 should be opposite the centre of the shoe (antero-posterior 

 measurement) ; the outer nail holes are punched a little 

 * coarse,' the inner at about the same distance from the margin 

 of the shoe as those of the toe. All the nail holes should be 

 equally spaced, quadrangular, and clean-punched, the counter- 

 sinks being sufficiently deep to allow nearly the whole of the 

 nail head to enter. 



