ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS OF CHARLIEK SYSTEM. 255 



shoe weakens the imioii between sole and wall and, except in 

 specially strong feet, approaches dangerously near seiisitive 

 structures. In this connection it must not be forgotten that 

 horn, even in thick layers, is a yielding substance (so that the 

 untouched wall will gradually be affected by constantly 

 maintained pressure), and that, though a considerable thickness 

 of sound horn separates the shoe from the nearest vascular 

 structure, evil results inay follow, though tardily. 



The inventor recognised this and advised that the groove be 

 not sunk beyond the point to which the sole would be pared 

 in ordinary shoeing. Unfortunately, with so shallow a groove 

 the frog no longer comes to the ground, l^ecause, on account of 

 its want of cover, the shoe has to be very much tliicker than 

 the ordinary form. And this raising of the whole foot is ill- 

 compensated by the increased thickness of the sole, etc., 

 especially w^hen compared with modern shoeing, in which the 

 sole is spared and therefore retains all its strength. 



Again, if the heels of the shoe be sunk deeper into the hoof 

 in order to preserve frog pressure, an increased load is thrown 

 on the tendons,, with undesirable results. 



In frosty weather the horse shod witli Cliarlier shoes slips 

 badly ; not so badly, perhaps, as the horse with ordinary shoes, 

 but infinitelv more than one with coq;s or screws or even rough 

 heels. And the Charlier svstem admits of no effective rou^h- 

 ing, so on this score it certainly has no advantage. 



When tirst introduced a great deal was said of the lightness 

 of the Charlier shoe. Xow, though very narrow, this shoe is 

 necessarily made very deep, and therefore heavy, not only to 

 resist wear but to prevent it opening under the weight of the 

 body, because, weight for weight, a broad thin shoe offers 

 infinitely greater resistance to this spreading movement than a 

 narrow deep shoe. The increase in depth is so considerable 

 that for .small feet the Charlier shoe has little advantage over 

 the ordinary form. In large feet, on the other hand, it has a 

 marked advantage. 



As the shoe surrounds the foot like a ring, one of two things 

 must occur when the animal is in fast work : either the shoe 

 must totally prevent expansion of the heels, or the force of 

 expansion must be so great as to drive the heels of the shoe 

 asunder. We believe it is the pain caused by this constant 



