"30 THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 



The plate is fitted short and close, the heels are rounded 

 off and prolonged upwards, fitting into a niche formed in 

 the wall of the heel, so that the union between the heel of 

 the foot and that of the shoe shows an unbroken line, the 

 inner margin of the shoe is concave, and the wall of the inner 

 branch, looking towards the opposite shoe, rounded off. Plates 



for front feet are occasionally provided 

 with a low, strong calkin to prevent side- 

 slip. In some parts of France it is custom- 

 FiG. 225. ary to invert the seating of the hoof surface, 



i.e., to make the inner margin of the hoof 

 surface a little higher than the outer, so as to fit close to the 

 sole instead of leaving a space, the object being to prevent 

 the toe of the hind foot catching in that of the fore, an 

 accident which is liable to be followed by a terrible fall. 



The hind shoe is usually furnished with a calkin outside to 

 prevent side-slip, and a plain heel within. The toe is rounded 

 off and set well back, a portion of horn being allowed to pro- 

 ject in front. The clip is placed at the centre of the toe, both 

 in front and hind plates. By setting the shoe back in this 

 way the danger of overreaching is diminished and its con- 

 sequences rendered less grave, while the action of the limb is 

 favoured as the tendons are enabled to act at a better angle. 



