AIMD HOW TO KEEP IT SOUND. 13 



right, that they cause their colts' feet to be "put in order," — 

 as the mischievous interference is called, — long before the 

 process of " breaking" has rendered the evil of shoeing neces- 

 sary. There are very few things so little varied in nature as 

 the form of the ground surface of horses' feet ; for whether 

 the hoof be high-heeled and upright, — or low-heeled and 

 flat, — large or small, — broad or narrow, — the identical form 

 of ground surface is maintained in each, so long as it is left 

 entirely to nature's guidance. The outer quarter, back to 

 the heel, is curved considerably and abruptly outwards, while 

 the inner quarter is carried back in a gradual and easy 

 curve.* The advantage of this form is so obvious, that it is 

 matter for wonder it should ever be interfered with. The 

 enlarged outer quarter extends the base and increases the 

 hold of the foot upon the ground ; while the straighter inner 

 quarter lessens the risk of striking the foot against the oppo- 

 site lesf. 



It should surely be our object to retain these valuable 

 qualities as long as we can, and not lightly sacrifice either of 

 them to a false notion of what may be considered a prettier 

 form. Whenever we observe nature steadily persevering in 

 one form, or one plan, depend upon it, it is not within the 

 range of man's ingenuity to amend it ; and he will better 

 serve his own interest in accommodating his views to her 

 laws, than in attempting to oppose them. In this spirit let us 

 proceed with our subject. 



Before the foot can be prepared for receiving a new shoe, 

 it will be necessary to remove the old one ; in doing which 

 great care should be taken to raise all the clinches,*}" and 

 every approach to violently wrenching it off should be scru- 

 pulously avoided ; dragging the nails with their turned down 

 ends through the crust, not only inflicts pain upon the horse 

 by their pressure on the sensitive parts within the hoof, — as 

 is evinced by his flinching and struggling to free his foot from 

 the grasp of the smith, — but separates the fibres of the horn 

 beyond what is necessary, and interferes with the future nail- 

 hold. If the shoe resist a moderate effort to displace it, one 

 or two of the nails, that appear to retain it the most, should 

 be partly punched out : by this small trouble much future in- 

 convenience will be saved, the enlargement of the nail-holes 

 prevented, and the crust left in a firmer and sounder state to 

 nail to. 



• Page 47, fig. 1 t Page 48, fig. 2, 



