15 



wisdom of leaving tlie bars projecting beyond tlie sm-face of 

 the sole ; it cannot possibly increase the power of resisting 

 contraction, and the projecting lim is left exposed to the 

 danger of being broken and bruised by contact with stones 

 and other hard substances; and it is further attended with 

 the disadvantage of making the cleaning out of the corners a 

 work of considerable ingenuity with so unwieldy an instrument, 

 as a common drawing knife. I prefer paring them down to 

 a level with the sole, or very nearly so, avoiding however 

 every approach to, what is called, " opening out the heels ;" 

 a most reprehensible practice, which means cutting away the 

 sides of the bars, so as to show an apparent increase of 

 width between the heels, which may for the time deceive 

 the eye ; but it is a mere illusion, purchased at the expense 

 of impaired power of resistance in the bars, and ultimate 

 contraction of the foot. It is self-evident, that the removal 

 of any portion from the sides of the bars must diminish 

 their substance, and render them weaker, and consequently 

 less able to resist contraction. 



If it were not for the unaccountable prejudice in favour of 

 carving the frog into shape, at every shoeing, I should have had 

 very little to say about it m this place; my only direction 

 as a general rule would have been, to leave it alone, and 

 never allow a knife to touch it ; but this far spread prejudice 

 renders it necessaiy for me to explain, why the knife must 

 be so entirely withheld from the frog, while its liberal apph- 

 cation to the other parts of the foot is shown to be so beneficial 

 to them. First then the frog has naturally less power of 

 producing horn, than any other part of the foot ; and the 



