24 



they have worn away the ground surface of the toe of their 

 fore shoes, than they do, when they have been newly shod. 



In turning up the toe we only carry out in the shoe, what 

 nature has already done in the foot ; she has arched the toe of 

 the coffin bone,''^ to diminish the effect of a jar at the toe ; 

 and we turn up the toe of the shoe, to lessen the cause of 

 the jar ; the common practice is just the reverse of this ; 

 it welds a lump of steel into the toe, which not only 

 increases its thickness, and the number of obstacles that it 

 necessarily encounters, but, being of a harder texture, is 

 longer wearing down, and consequently exposes the foot to 

 the greatest amount of concussion. Supposmg a horse to 

 wear his shoes so hard that they will not last a month, 

 much beyond which, as the foot will outgrow them, they had 

 better not last, than steel the toe ; but still let it be turned 

 up as much out of the line of wear, as possible. 



A small chp at the pomt of the toet is very desirable, as 

 preventing displacement of the shoe backward ; it need not 

 be driven up hard ; it is merely required, as a check or 

 stay. The shoe should be sufficiently long fully to support 

 the angles at the heels,| and not, as is too often the case, 

 so short, that a little wear imbeds the edge of it in the 

 horn at these parts.§ 



The foot surface of the shoe should always have a good, 

 flat, even space left all around for the crust to bear upon ;|| 

 for it must be remembered, that the crust sustains the whole 

 weight of the horse, and needs to have a perfectly even 



* Plate 2, fig. 2. t Hate 3, fig. 1. X Hate 7, fig. 2. 



§ Plate 7, fig. 1. II Hate 3, fig. ] . 



