496 THE HORSE. 



every disease of the foot. It is attended by a greater or less 

 separation of horn, which sometimes leaves the whole of the sole 

 bare. This also, like the diseases of the foot generally, is diffi- 

 cult of cure. 



Few things are more neglected, and yet of greater impor- 

 tance to the comfort and durability of the horse, than a proper 

 system of shoeing. It is necessary that the foot should be de- 

 fended from the wear and tear of the roads ; but that very de- 

 fence too often entails on the animal a degree of injury and 

 suffering scarcely credible. The shoe is fixed to the foot, and 

 often interferes with and limits the beautiful functions of that 

 organ, and thus causes much unnecessary inflammation and 

 mischief. 



The shoe of a healthy foot should ofli'er a pefectly flat surface 

 to the ground. The bearing or weight of the horse will then be 

 diff'used over the surface of the shoe, and there will be no inju- 

 rious accumulation of it on diff'erent points. Too often, however, 

 there is a convexity towards the inner edge, which causes an 

 inequality of bearing, which breaks and destroys the crust, and 

 pinches the sensible parts. Round the outer edge of the shoe, 

 and extended over two-thirds of it on tlie lower surface, a 

 groove is sunk, through which pass the nails for the fastening of 

 the shoe. At first they somewhat project, but they are soon 

 worn down to the level of the shoe, which, in the health}^ foot, 

 should not varj^ in thickness from the heel to the toe. 



The width of the shoe will depend on that of the foot. The 

 general rule is, that it should protect the sole from injury, and 

 be as wide at the heel as the frog will permit. 



The upper surface of the shoe should be differently formed ; 

 it should be flat along the upper end, the outer portion support- 

 ing the crust, or, in other words, the weight of the horse, and 

 widest at the heel, so as to afford expansion of the bars and the 

 heels. The inner portion of the shoe should be bevelled off, in 

 order that, in the descent of the sole, that part of the foot may 

 not be bruised. The owner of the horse should occai-ionally be 

 present when the shoes are removed, and he will be too often 

 surprised to see how far the smith, almost wilfully, deviates from 

 the right construction of this apparently simple apparatus. 

 The bevelled shoe is a little more troublesome to make and to 



