THE HORSE. 85 



amend it, and set the shoe right, and standing right ? 



drive in another nail. That done, let the horse set 



down his foot again, and look round about it, to see 



whether it fitteth the horse's foot in all places ; and 



whether the horse treadeth even and just on it or not. 



And if you see that the shoe doth not furnish every 



part equally, but perhaps appeareth more of one 



side than of another, then make the horse's other foot 



to be lifted up, to the intent he may stand the more 



steadily upon that foot ; and so standing, strike the 



hoof with your hammer on that side that the shoe is 



scant, and that shall make the shoe to come that 



way. The shoe then standing straight and just, 



drive in the rest of all the nails to the number of 



eight, so that the points of the nails seem to stand in 



the outside of the hoof, even and just one by another, 



as it were in a circular line, and not out of order. 



That done, cut them off and clinch them, so as the 



clinches may be hidden in the hoof, which by cutting 



the hoof with the point of a knife, a little beneath the 



appearing of the nail, you may easily do ; that done, 



with a rape (rasp) pare the hoof round, so as the 



edge of the shoe may be seen round about." — 



Shoeing the perfect hoof. 



To help the imperfect hoof. — " To pare it well, 

 let the ferrer take as much off the toe with his butter 

 (butteris) as he can possibly, keeping it always under ; 

 but let him not touch the quarter nor the heels at all, 

 unless it be to make the seat of the shoe plain, and 

 let that be done so superficially as may be." The 

 knife, however, rather than the butteris, is the proper 

 tool wherewith to pare down the toe. 



