INDISCREET HOOF-PARING. 541 



ness of horn luill then remain. If the foot has been pre- 

 viously neglected, and the horn is become very hard, the 

 owner must not object if the smith resorts to some means 

 to soften it a little ; and if he takes one of his fat irons, 

 and having heated it, draws it over the sole, and keeps it a 

 little ivhile in contact ivith it. When the sole is thick, 

 this rude and apparently barbarous method can do no 

 harm, but it should never be permitted with the sole that 

 is regularly pared out. 



' The quantity of horn to be removed in order to leave 

 the proper degree of thickness will vary with different feet. 

 From the strong foot a great deal must be taken. From 

 the concave foot the horn may be removed until the sole 

 will yield to a moderate pressure. From the flat foot little 

 need be pared ; while the pumiced foot will spare nothing 

 but the ragged parts. The paring being nearly com- 

 pleted, the knife and the rasp of the smith must be a little 

 watched, or he will reduce the crust to a level with the sole, 

 and thus endanger the bruising of the sole by its pressure 

 on the edge of the seating. The crust should be reduced 

 to a perfect level all round, but left a little higher than 

 the sole.' The horn between the crust and the bar 

 must be carefully pared out, in order to remedy or to give 

 the animal temporary relief from corns, and the frog was 

 to be diminished to a proper degree. More depended 

 upon the paring out of the foot, according to Mr Youatt, 

 than on the construction of the shoe ; that few shoes, ex- 

 cept they press upon the sole, or are made outrageously 

 bad, will lame the horse ; but that he may be very easily 

 lamed from ignorant and improper paring of the feet. 



Nothing could be more erroneous than this author's 



