SHOEING. .79 



the crust which turns round towards the bars, and the 

 bars themselves, should not on anj account be weak- 

 ened. These parts are intended to be firm, solid, and 

 unpelding, and therefore thej ought to be kept as 

 strong as possible. As corns are produced by the 

 pressure of the shoe on the sole, the smith must be 

 careful not to weaken the bars or the crust at the spot 

 where they occur. There is no objection to paring the 

 sole well at this place ; but if the crust and bars are 

 weakened, they will yield under the weight of the 

 horse, and thus press injuriously on the seat of the 

 corns. 



After the operation of paring has been completed, 

 the shoe ought to be carefully adapted to the foot. 

 This cannot be done without a gi'eat deal of time and 

 trouble. Hence it is seldom properly done at all. If 

 the shoe does not sit perfectly level all roimd, there 

 will be a constant straining on the nails, which is in- 

 jurious to the foot. It ought to be made very wide 

 across the foot, at the point where the two front nails 

 are situated. The greatest mistake, I think, frequently 

 lies here. In place of turning the shoe, at the toe, 

 very carefully on the horn of the anvil, the smith gene- 

 rally sets it up on its side, and then strikes it >Wth 

 his hammer. The consequence is, it yields at the 

 centre of the arch, and, instead of being nicely and 

 regularly roimded in front, whilst the breadth from 

 side to side is preserved, the nail-holes on each side are 



