HORSESHOEING. 



97 



Fig. 94. 



C. Removing the Old Shoes. 



If a horse's hoofs are heahhy, all the shoes may be taken 

 off at the same time, but there are certain diseases of the 

 hoof in whicli this should not be done. 



The inile to follow in removing every 

 shoe is to draw it cautiously, not wrench 

 it away with violence. Hoofs which are 

 dirty should first be cleansed, preferably 

 with a stiff brush. Next, the clinches 

 should be carefully lifted by means of a 

 rather dull clinch cutter (Fig. 93), with- 

 out injuring the horn of the wall. In order, 

 now, that the nails may be removed singly, 

 the shoe must be slightly lifted. This 

 may be done in one of two ways. 

 The sheer may use a pair of pin- 

 cers (Fig. 94), with broad bills 

 which ^\'ill encompass the branch 

 of the shoe and come well together 

 underneath it. The handles of the 

 pincers are then moved in the di- 

 rection of the branches of the shoe. 

 The second method consists in rais- 

 ing the branches of the shoe by driv- 

 ing the nail-cutter from behind be- 

 tween the shoe and hoof and using 

 it as a lever or pry to loosen the 

 shoe. 



Violent and excessive twisting 

 of the hoof and straining of ligaments may easily occur, but 

 the smith should guard against them by supporting the hoof 

 with the left hand or with the leg just above the knee, while 

 loosening the shoe. 

 7 



