CALKINS V. WEDGE-HEELS FOR CAEKIAGE HORSES. 239 



■outer, seven nail holes, which extend back considerably beyond 

 the centre of the quarter and are sunk in a deep fuller, and a 

 broad, solid, and therefore durable toe. The cover is approxi- 

 mately equal throughout. The inner heel is well rounded off. 

 There is usually a clip at the toe. This has the advantage over 

 clips on either side of the toe of allowing the inner branch of 

 the shoe to be fitted very close, and of still further avoiding 

 the risk of cutting. As the pace is much slower than that of 

 the hunter, there is less danger of overreach, and rounding the 

 toe, giving two side toe-clips, and setting back the shoe are 

 unnecessary. To give additional security, an outside quarter- 

 clip may be added. 



The foot surface is perfectly fiat and broadest at the toe, 

 becoming gradually narrower as it aj)proaches the heels. The 

 inner branch of the shoe is sliohtlv narrower than the outer. 



Wedge heels are used to increase wear and diminish the 

 danger of ' treading ' the coronet when the horse is in the 

 stable. There is little real difference between the shoe with two 

 wedo'e heels and that with an inner wedge heel and an outer 

 calkin, though, as the calkin gives a somewhat better foothold 

 than the wedge heel, the latter shoe is preferred by many. 



With the object of preventing injury, many horses are shod 

 with a ' feather-edge ' inside. The shoe is then nailed around 

 the outside and at the toe, and may carry a toe and outside 

 quarter-clip. The ' feather-edge ' should be of the same height 

 as the outer calkin and be bevelled away from above down- 

 wards and well rounded off. This kind of shoe is always ' set 

 under ' a trifle and the horn of the quarter and inside of toe 

 rasped away so as to leave no sharp edge capable of inflicting 

 injury. As the nails are disadvantageously placed, the plain 

 stamped shoe (which gives more support to the individual nails 

 and can be more easily, and more ,perf ectly, fitted) is to be pre- 

 ferred to the fullered shoe. The feather-edged stamped shoe 

 has one great mechanical disadvantage : the inner border form- 

 ing a plane, polished surface gives practically no grip on the 

 ground, the calkin then forms the only holding portion of the 

 shoe and there is a constant tendency for the foot to rotate 

 round this as around a fixed point. Although competent 

 authorities deny that any evil results in practice, it seems 

 to us that the use of such shoes, at least on wood and asphalt 



