48o HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



cracks) at the quarter it is also advantageous. The sole or 

 frog should Jiever be pared ; the wall alone should be cut 

 down, if it is too long. When a horse cuts himself with the 

 opposite foot the inner branch of the shoe ought to be shorter 

 and thinner than the outer. In order that the shoe wear a 

 long time, I have used a nail of my invention, the head of 

 which is in the form of a cone, and the aperture in the shoe 

 of the same shape, and exactly filled by the nail. However 

 much the shoe may be worn it is always retained in its 

 place. This kind of nail (fig. 183) possesses three other 

 advantages : one, that it is less liable to be broken at the 

 neck because it exactly fits the stamped hole ; the other, 

 that it is smaller, and, in consequence, not likely to press 

 on the sensitive part of the foot ; and, lastly, that it does 

 less damage to the horn. 



' By this new mode of shoeing all the defects and 

 accidents attendant upon the old method are evaded.' 



Elsewhere he speaks of another kind of shoeing, 

 which is not without interest. The chapter referring to 

 this is headed : ' Half-circle shoes for the safety of the rider, 

 for use on dry and slippery roads, either in summer or 

 winter, in ascending mountains, or in descending them at 

 a gallop, without slipping in any way.' This method of 

 shoeing was contrived as follows: 'The semi-circle (fig. 

 184, next page) ought to be from two to three lines in 

 width and one and a half in thickness, so as to admit 

 of the holes being made in them with a punch ; these 

 holes should be counter-pierced on the same side on 

 which they are stamped, so that the nail-head be com- 

 pletely buried in their cavities. Ten holes at least are re- 

 quired, but they should be small in proportion, as they are 



