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level ; because the horn of the inner side, being free from 

 nail holes, is more close and compact in its texture, than 

 that of the outside, and consequently, is less easily acted 

 upon by the rasp, and therefore very often left higher, 

 whereljy the horse gets an unequal bearing upon the shoe, 

 and his weight is thrown upon the outside of the foot ; 

 always straining, and sometimes breaking either the nails, 

 or tlie hoof on that side. I was requested some time ago 

 to superintend the shoeing of a hoi-se, who had cast his 

 shoes three or four times, and I found the inner side of 

 both his feet nearly half an inch higher, than the outside ; 

 I had them lowered ; and he has carried his shoes safely 

 ever since. 



The shoe having been properly fitted, should next be 

 "back holed," that is, have the holes on the foot surface so 

 enlarged, as to allow a free passage to the points and shanks 

 of the nails ; this should always be done by breaking down 

 the edo-e of each hole nearest to the outer rim of the shoe, 

 which causes the hole to pass straight through the shoe, 

 and permits the point of the nail to come out low in the 

 crust. The common practice is to break down the inner 

 edo-e, which gives the hole an inclination inwards towards 

 the centre of the foot, and obliges the nail to be driven 

 high into the crust, before the point can be made to take 

 an outward direction, which is always objectionable, inasmuch 

 as it involves a risk of pressure from the shanks of the 

 nails upon the sensitive parts immediately within the hoof, 

 and causes an lumecessary destruction of horn, from the 

 splitting of its fibres by the nails. 



