244 THE PRACTICE OF SHOEING. 



6. OMNIBUS HORSES. 



Until very recently most omnibus horses were shod in front 

 with a plain stamped shoe, of equal thickness throughout, but 

 broader at the toe and outer quarter, where the chief wear falls, 

 than at other points. To avoid unduly loading the toe, the 

 increased breadth is chiefly secured by increased seating out. 

 The ordinary shoe has seven nail holes, four outside and three 

 inside ; the last outside nail hole is placed at about the centre of 

 the quarter. We believe that of late years the London General 

 Omnibus Company has adopted a machine-made fullered front 

 shoe, which has been found easy to fit and apply, and the use 

 of which is steadily extending. Machine-made shoes are less 

 durable than hand-made, however, and most private shoeing 

 firms continue the use of hand-made stamped shoes for 'bus 

 horses, especially for hard wear. 



The hind shoe is of good breadth and thickness at the toe 

 and outer quartei- where wear is usually severe. To secure 

 durability, many hind shoes are made from ' old stuff,' one and 

 a half or tw^o shoes produciug a new shoe, or a piece of steel is 

 welded into the toe. The inner branch of the shoe is slightly 

 narrower than the outer, and usually terminates in a wedge 

 heel to lessen the danger of ' treading ' the opposite coronet. 

 For horses that cut, the inner branch of the shoe bears one or 

 two nail holes close to the toe-clip, is fashioned rather straight 

 from the back of the toe as far as the last part of the quarter, 

 and fitted very fine. 



The horses of the Compagnie Generale des Omnibus de Paris 

 are shod with steel shoes of a much lighter pattern than is 

 usual in England. Both fore and hind shoes are thick at the 

 toe and become thinner towards the heels. Each has six nail 

 holes distributed at equal distances around the toe and is avail- 

 able for either a right or left foot. The system is said to work 

 very satisfactorily, but we cannot help thinking trouble must 

 arise in the shoeing of diseased or weak feet. 



