102 HORSESHOEING. 



viewed from in front, from behind, and in profile, correspond to 

 the direction of the three phalanges (foot axis). 



Finally, this fact should be emphasized, that in changing 

 from flat shoes to those with calks, or the reverse, the hoofs 

 must first be dressed in accordance, so that the foot axes will 

 remain straight, and the feet be set always flat to the ground 

 when the new shoes are on. Each hoof, when ready for the 

 new shoe, should be let down and the horse allowed to stand 

 upon it while it is again carefully examined and closely 

 compared with the opposite hoof. Only after such close 

 inspection has proved the dressing to be faultless can the 

 hoof be considered as properly prepared and ready for the 

 shoe. The two front hoofs and the two hind hoofs, when the 

 legs are in the same position, should not only he of equal 

 size, hut also in proper relation to the size and weight of the 

 body. 



E. Preparing the Hoof for going Barefoot. 



This becomes necessary when the nature of the ground and 

 the kind of service required of the horse render shoeing un- 

 necessary. However, to go barefoot the hoof must have plenty 

 of horn. After removing the fehoes the frog should be pared 

 down nearly to the level of the wall, and the sharp outer 

 edge of the wall well rounded off with the rasp, in some cases 

 as far as the white line, otherwise large pieces of the wall mil 

 readily break away. Hoofs with very slanting walls must be 

 more strongly rounded off than upright hoofs. Going bare- 

 foot strengthens the hoofs. From time to time the condition 

 of these shoeless hoofs should be ascertained by inspection, and 

 any growing fault in shape or direction of the horn immediately 

 corrected. It quite frequently happens that the sharp edge of 

 the wall must be repeatedly rounded, especially on very oblique 

 walls (outer half of base-wide hoofs), and the quarters may 

 require frequent shortening, because they are not always worn 

 away as fast as the horn at the toe. 



