GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN SHOEING EACE-HORSES. 



229 



3. RACE-HOESES. 



The chief pomts to be aiDiecl at in shoeing race -horses are 

 to secure lightness and a rough ground surface, though light- 

 ness must never be pushed to such a point as to endanger 

 the breaking or bending of the .shoe. These requirements 

 are best met by a slender steel shoe with a deep con- 

 tinuous fullering round the entire ground surface, dividing 

 it into two sharp borders. To prevent the shoe bending, 

 however, the nail holes should be continued somewhat farther 

 back than usual, and the racing plate shown, though excellent 

 in other respects, would probably be improved by a sixth 

 nail hole. Since the introduction of steel (for sections, see 

 page 131) it has become possible to produce much lighter shoes 



Fig. 224. — Raciuij plate. As in several of these illustrations. Uie foot has been 

 so prepared as to cause the bars to appear with unusual distinctness. 



and even to increase the cover (a sensible advantage) without 

 adding weight. The section shown on next page is for iron, and 

 is still sometimes used. 



For training, light fullered shoes, about six to eight ounces in 

 weight, are used. The hind shoes are fiat. These are exchanged 

 on the day preceding the event for racing plates weighing about 

 four ounces. The reduction in weight is extremely important 

 when one remembers how frequently the limbs are lifted, 

 especially as the shoe is placed at the extremity of the limb, 

 and is therefore acting on a lever of great length. 



