SOLLEYSEL'S DIRECTIONS. 467 



and you would hazard the pricking your horse. Quarter 

 behind is that a horse hath the quarters of his hind feet 

 strong, that is to say, the horn thick, and so capable of 

 suffering a good gripe by the nails ; but at the toes of 

 the hind feet you will immediately meet with the quick, 

 because the horn is but thin in that part ; and therefore 

 smiths should put no nails at all just in the toes of the 

 hind feet, but only in their quarters. 



' The second rule is, Never to open a horse's heels. 

 People call it opening of the heels, when the smith in 

 paring the foot, cutteth the heel low and close almost to 

 the frush (frog), and taketh it down within a finger's 

 breadth of the coronet, or top of the hoof, so that he 

 separates the quarters at the heel, and by that means 

 weakens and takes away the substance of the foot, making 

 it to close and become narrow at the heels. Now this, 

 which they call opening, would be more properly called 

 closing of the heels ; for the roundness and circumference 

 of the foot being cut, by doing that which they call 

 opening of the heels, which is to cut them wholly away, 

 they are no longer supported by anything ; so that if 

 there be any weakness in the foot, it will of necessity 

 make it slirink and straiten in the quarters, which will 

 quite spoil the foot. 



' The third rule is to make use of as thin and small nails 

 as possible ; because the nails that are thick and gross 

 make a large hole, not only when they are driving, but 

 also when they are riveting ; for, being stiff, they split the 

 horn and take it away with them. Neither can a tender 

 foot be shod with such big nails without hazard of prick- 

 ing, especially if there be but little horn to take hold of 



30* 



