84 THE HORSE. 



knife, so shall they stand sure without shogging, en- 

 dure longer, and to that end, the stamp that first 

 maketh the holes, and the preschell that pierceth 

 them, and also the necks of the nails would be of one 

 square fashion and bigness ; that is to say, great 

 above and small beneath, which our common smiths 

 do little regard; for when they pierce a shoe, they 

 make the holes as wide on the inside as on the out- 

 side, and then nails with so great a shouldering, by 

 driving them over hard upon the nail tool, as the 

 heads, or rather necks, of the said nails cannot enter 

 into the holes ; for to say the truth, a good nail 

 would have no shoulder in driving at all, but be made 

 with a plain and square neck, so as it may justly fit 

 and fill the piercing hole of the shoe. For otherwise, 

 the head of the nail standing high, and the neck 

 thereof being weak, either it breaketh off, or else 

 bendeth upon every light occasion, so as the shoe 

 thereby standeth loose from the hoof, and is quickly 

 lost. Moreover, the shanks of the nails would be 

 somewhat flat, and the points sharp, without hollow- 

 ness or flaw, and stiffer tow r ards the head above than 

 beneath ; and when you drive, drive at the first with 

 strokes and with a light hammer, until the nail be 

 somewhat entered ; and, in shoeing fine delicate 

 horses, it shall not be amiss to grease the points of 

 the nails with a little soft grease, that the nails may 

 enter the more easily, and drive the two talon nails 

 first. Then look whether the shoe standeth right or 

 not, which you shall perceive in beholding the frush ; 

 for if the sponges on both sides be equally distant 

 from the frush, then it standeth right ; if not, then 



