36 



liable to injury, and consequently less frequently lame ; it is 

 however by no means entirely exempt, nor does it always 

 escape disease of its navicular joint, for I have myself found 

 disease in a navicular bone, taken from a hind foot : 

 this being the case then we should endeavour to guard 

 against it by interfering as httle, as possible with its 

 expansive power ; and that will be best done by keeping 

 the nails on the inside, as far removed from the heel, 

 as we conveniently can, to which end I recommend the 

 employment of seven naUs only, four to be placed in the 

 outer, and three in the inner side of the shoe. The holes 

 in the inner side are to be punched closer together, and 

 kept more towards the toe, than those on the outside, 

 which need to be fiu'ther aj^art, as affording gi-eater security 

 of hold to the foot. The shoe should be carefully fitted to 

 the hoof all round particvilarly at the heels, which are too 

 commonly left without any support whatever ; and the 

 mischievous custom of turning down the outer heel only must 

 be avoided, because it throws the weight entirely upon the 

 inner quarter, which is the part the least able to bear it, 

 and causes much uncomfortable strain to the fetlock joint 

 above. Calkins, even though they may be turned down 

 of a perfectly even length on each side, which however is 

 very rarely done, are objectionable appendages, and had better 

 be dispensed with excepting perhaps for very heavy draft, 

 when their ends by entering the ground may prevent the 

 foot from slipping, and may thus enable the toe to obtain 

 a firmer hold. For carriage and riding horses I much prefer 

 to have the heel of the shoe for about an inch and a half 



