668 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



stamped shoe is in every way preferable. The square 

 cavity, wide at tlie top and tapering to the bottom, gives 

 a secure and solid lodgment to the nail-head, which of 

 course should be of the same shape ; it does not weaken 

 the shoe, is easily made, can be placed nearer the outer or 

 inner margin as required, and when filled with the nail is 

 as capable of resisting wear as any other part. It is 

 usually better to have the nail-holes stamped ' coarse ; ' 

 that is, at some distance from the outer margin of the 

 shoe, and neither inclining outwards nor inwards. 



The number of nail-holes through which nails are to 

 be driven should be as few as possible. Every nail pene- 

 trating the crust may be looked upon as a source of 

 injury to it ; and with a shoe bedded in a solid manner on 

 the crust and sole, as I have recommended, and diminished 

 in weight to the utmost degree compatible with endurance 

 for a certain period, it is astonishing what a small number 

 of nails is needed. The ordinary heavy seated-shoe is dam- 

 aging to the foot, not only because it rests on such a 

 narrow basis, but also because its weight and instability 

 necessitates its being attached by a large number of long 

 thick nails which do great harm to the crust. For shoes 

 worn by medium-sized draught-horses, I never allow 

 more than six nails in the fore and seven in the hind 

 feet ; more frequently the fore shoes are retained by five 

 nails — three outside and two inside, and the hind ones by 

 three on each side. The nails are comparatively small. 



For carriage and saddle horses, as well as hunters, four 

 and five small nails are employed for the fore, and 

 generally five and six for the hind shoes. It must always 

 be remembered, that the retention of a shoe for a sufficient 



