128 



SHOES ARE MADE CONCAVE. 



SHOES ARE MADE CONCAVE. 



If the shoe as usually fitted is examined, the bearing sur- 

 face at the heels will be found concave or the inner edge 

 of each heel much the lowest ; not only this, but often the 

 heels are carried back too far, or the shoe is so wide that 

 the heels rest on the seating inside of where fitted to sup- 

 port the heels. 



It is evident that if the bearing surface at the heels is 

 concave, there is a natural tendency as weight is thrown 

 upon the foot to have the heels crowded together. 



(No. 10.) Shoe Properly Fitted. 



With the foot properly prepared and the shoe properly 

 fitted to it, the next important consideration is nailing it to 

 the hoof. As the hoof is continually growing and becom- 

 ing proportionately larger than the shoe, this must be done 

 if possible so as not to bring lateral restrain^ •j.pon the quar- 

 ters, and this implies attention to the location of the nail 

 holes. If the smith were to examine the thickness of the 

 hoof of an ordinary well-bred horse, he would perhaps be 

 surprised at its thinness, and he would see the importance, 

 in the first place, of making the holes near the edge well 

 forward in the toe, and of not putting the shoe so far under 

 the shell as to compel his driving the nails too deeply 

 into it, or of having the nails so large as to split and shatter 

 the hoof. If the nail holes are made well into the shoe, 

 and the shoe should be a little narrow or short, and be set 



