^o Horses and Horsemastership. 



ment, known as a drawing knife, would be abolished, 

 for the misuse of it is a fertile source of evil, and the 

 average farrier seems to take a pride in '• trimming"' a 

 horse's foot, either wilfull)^ or in ignorance of the mis- 

 chief which may supervene. The ground surface of the wall 

 should be rasped absolutely level, for if one side of the 

 foot be at all higher than the other discomfort must 

 ensue. There is no real necessity for the old habit of 

 fitting the shoe to the foot by burning down the horn 

 with it. The shoe should fit full all round the circum- 

 ference and project slightly beyond the heels. In nail- 

 ing it on care should be taken to avoid the sensitive 

 parts by keeping outside the line of white horn which 

 marks the union of the laminae with the wall. The 

 nails should pierce the outer surface of the wall about 

 an inch from the ground surface, and should be 

 driven home more firmly at the toe than the 

 heel, particularly the inside heel. The clinches should 

 be laid as flat as possible, and with the least assistance 

 from the rasp. Calkings are quite unnecessary if the 

 frog is allowed to fulfil its proper mission. The shoes 

 should be removed at least once a month. It is hardly 

 necessary for me to add that owing to its great im- 

 portance this subject might very well occupy several 

 chapters. It is essentially one of the things which every 

 horseman ought to endeavour to become practically 

 acquainted with. 



