430 SHOEING COMrETITIONS. 



be ill atteiidauce to keep tlie tires going when not in use, and 

 to clean out the sheds. 



There are generally two classes, nags and heavy horses. 

 TJie horses lequired should be carefully selected by the 

 stewards or judges the day previous to the competition, care 

 being taken to provide animals fairly representing each class, 

 and to exclude those with broken or defective feet, or which 

 are known to be ditticult to shoe. 



On the day of the competition neither members of the 

 public nor competitors should be allowed access to the animals 

 until work actually l)egins, otherwise the ' old hands,' if they 

 see a horse with bad feet, will hold back and so delay progress. 



Xumbers haviiiir been attached to each horse's mane or 

 halter, a corresponding series is drawn by the competitors, each 

 of whom afterwards takes the horse thus assigned him. The 

 men are then assembled, and the steward in charge recites the 

 conditions of the competition, and explains that each man must 

 be prepared to start when called on, failing which he will be 

 put last on the list or disqualitied. The judge or judges may 

 add a few words, and should claim the right to stop any com- 

 petitor at any stage without assigning to him a reason. All 

 preparations being complete, the men's numbers are suspended 

 above the shoeing sheds (a common practice is to take odd and 

 even numbers alternately), the horses are brought from the 

 stable, and work commences. Men who have tinished should 

 at once return to their room, and should not be allowed to walk- 

 about or in anv wav interfere with those at work. 



The competitor is usually asked to make a fore and a hind 

 shoe, and to put on the fore shoe in a given time. In the greater 

 number of instances this is a sufficient test, but, as shown by 

 the appended form of marking-book, it is not uncommon to 

 require the hind shoe also to be nailed on. Most judges 

 prefer to divide the operations into three parts: (1) Taking 

 off shoe and preparing foot ; (2) Making shoe ; (3) Fitting and 

 nailing-on. The question of time is of minor importance, 

 thou oh the total time allowed should not be exceeded. In a 

 close competition the saving of a few minutes may serve to 

 mark out the winner. The svstem of marking varies. Some 

 judges use numbers, others terms, like fair, good, very good, 

 etc. It is difficult to sav which is the better. It is very 



