456 THE HOKSE. 



horse's foot, would be very acceptable to many working smiths, 

 who have neither the time nor the inclination to wade through 

 a work where what they want to find is mixed up with other 

 matters, which do not bear upon their vocation. To the pro- 

 duction of such a treatise I now set myself, in the hope that, 

 however much I may fall short of my wishes, I may still in 

 some degree supply a want which has long been felt by many. 

 The books at present in use are written in a style that most 

 smiths find it difhcult to follow ; my aim, therefore, shall be to 

 convey the information I have to offer in the simplest language 

 I can command, and such as the least-informed among them are 

 familiar with. But, before I enter upon the subject of shoeing, 

 I must notice two things, which we must not only believe, but 

 act upon, if we ever hape to arrive at really good shoeing; the 

 first is, that nature has given to what horsemen call a good- 

 shaped foot, the form best suited to the horse's wants ; and the 

 second is, that the hoof expands when the horse's weight is 

 thrown upon it, and contracts when it is taken off again. But 

 the mere belief in these things will be of no use, unless we 

 make the shoe to fit the foot, and nail it on in such a manner as 

 will allow the hoof to expand and contract ; for we might as 

 well not believe at all, as believe a thing to be right, and not 

 do it. 



Nailing an iron shoe to a living horse's foot is a very unnatu- 

 ral thing to do; but, as it must be done, it is our duty to see 

 how we can do it with the least injury to the horse. To show 

 this, I will suppose myself addressing a young smith, who is 

 about to shoe his first horse. 



Preparing the Foot. — You must begin by taking off one of 

 the old shoes, and I may say one, because the other should al- 

 ways be left on, for the horse to stand upon ; he is sure to stand 

 quieter upon a shod foot than he can upon a bare one ; and it 

 will prevent his breaking the crust. Raise every one of the 

 clenches with the buffer, and, if the shoe will not then come 

 off easily, loosen some of the nails with the punch ; but never 

 tear the shoe off" by main force ; it splits the crust and widens 

 the nail-holes. The shoe being oft', you should rasp the edge 

 of the hoof all around, and take out an}^ stubs that nmj be left 

 in the crust. Then you must pare out the foot ; and this re- 



