RACING AND STEEPLECHASING FORE SHOES. 231 



EACING PLATE (FOEE) (Fig. 226). 



Made from j'^. x ^ inch ii 



on. 



This is an old-fashioned plate, such as was used thirty years 

 ago when horses were taken to race-meetings in the ordinary 

 light shoes in which they did their work. The shoes were 

 taken off and the plates substituted at the stables close to the 

 meeting. 



The plate shown is made in a very small concave tool, the 

 groove in which is provided with a ridge at the bottom so as to 

 form the fuller, as the section of iron is too hght to be fullered 

 in the ordinary way. A similar device is useful in making 

 small pony shoes, say 3 to 3^ inches. I*ony hind shoes are 

 sometimes made in the same tool, but it is preferable to use a 

 special tool, without the ridge, for these, as, when the fullering 

 is continued around the toe, the front of the shoe presents a 

 knife-like edge, capable of inflicting severe injury on the fore 

 foot should the animal overreach. 



CONCAVE FULLEEED FOEE SHOE (FOE STEEPLE- 

 CHASING) (Fig. 227). 



Made from -I X f^ inch iron . 



This shoe is useful for steeplechasers or hunters exercised on 

 grass or harrowed land, but is too light and wears too quickly 

 for animals exercised on macadam roads. It is intended for 

 medium-sized feet, viz., from 4;| to 5^ inches. The section is 

 usually given in a concave tool. Owing to its thinness it per- 

 mits the frogs to come well in contact with the ground, and 

 acts as a preventive of thrush, contraction of the foot, and 

 wiring in of the heels. It is therefore indicated for upright 

 boxy feet with signs of commencing disease. 



