PKECAUnONS REQUIRED WHEN CHANGING STYLE OF SHOE. 265 



Bearing this in mind, it is easy to see that a change from 

 shoes with calkins to those without may be injurious, and in 

 fact is injurious, if the toe be not shortened to such an extent 

 as to restore the foot and hoof axes to their normal relationship. 

 In the event of the horn being too weak to permit of thus 

 lowering the toe, the shoes sliould at least be somewhat thicker 

 at the heels. 



The following sometimes occurs : — The owner of a horse 

 shod with calkins hears of the advantages of Hat shoes, and 

 without further notice has his horse's shoes removed and 

 replaced with liat shoes. He finds, however, the horse ,2^oes 

 worse than formerly, and blames flat shoes accordingly. The 

 cause of this tied-in gait, and the tripping and stumbling, is to 

 be sought in the low heels. Eemoval of the calkins has 

 disturbed the relations of the hoof and foot axes, and has 

 produced another kind of tread, in which the toe comes first to 

 the ground. Had the farrier been guided by the conformation 

 and tread, and had he found it impossible to shorten the toe, 

 owing to want of horn, he could either have objected to the 

 change, or, at least, selected shoes with thick heels, which would 

 not have destroyed the balance. 



9. The Shape and Fitting of the Shoe. 



Shaping and fitting the shoe, like preparing the hoof, are 

 most important parts of the farrier's duty. Fitting can be 

 performed with the shoe either hot or cold. In this work 

 skill and the ability to ' carry the form in his eye ' are 

 absolutely necessary. 



Hot fitting has the advantage of allowing faults in the shoe 

 to be rapidly corrected, as well as producing very perfect 

 •coaptation between shoe and foot in the shortest possible time. 

 A hot shoe should never be applied to the hoof for more than 

 ten to thirty seconds, otherwise serious injury, such as burning 

 the sole and causing inflammation of sensitive structures, may 

 be done. 



Cold fitting certainly avoids these disadvantages, but never 

 produces such complete contact between shoe and hoof, nor can 

 the peculiarities of the hoof or of the gait be so exactly 



