664 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



With a plane ground-surfaced shoe, a great object to 

 be gained in attempting to prevent slipping, and afford- 

 ing a grasp of the ground, is the diminution of the wide 

 surface of metal, without interfering with the wear of the 

 shoe but as little as possible. The simplest method of 

 doing this, is merely changing the bevel on the foot 

 surface of the ordinary shoe to its ground surface — mak- 

 ing what is now concave plane, and the flat slippery 

 ground surface concave. The effect is almost magical, 

 in the security it gives the animal during progression, 

 and is best exemplified in the case of the hunter, which 

 is shod with shoes of this kind. Here we are imitating 

 nature again, in following the concavity of the sole. 

 There can be no doubt whatever as to the advantages to 

 be gained in employing shoes of this description. The 

 sole is partly supported, as well as the whole of the crust, 

 by the wider surface of metal, while the narrower surface 

 towards the ground affords security of tread. For ordinary 

 wear by carriage or saddle horses, the English hunting- 

 shoe, on unmutilated hoofs, is excellent. The hind shoes, 

 however, should have no calkins ; neither should hind or 

 fore shoes be thickened towards the heels : this is a very 

 bad practice. 



For hunting or other purposes, a slight modification 

 of this form of shoe can be made, which gives it a still 

 firmer hold, especially on grass land. Besides the concave 

 sole and frog in the unshod foot being of the greatest utility 

 in affording a secure grasp of the ground, the angle formed 

 by the bar and crust at the termination of the heel must 

 also be looked upon as a useful agent in this way, and 

 particularly in preventing the extremity of the limb from 



