Part I. PerfeSt Farrier. 43 



monly ftraitens and dries up the Hoof in that part. 

 However, it is not at all dangerous to apply Rays 

 of Fire upon the Hoof, provided you do not burn 

 the Coronet; nay, it is very profitable upon many 

 occafions to perform it \ for example, when a Heel 

 or Quarter is fo ftraitned, that it prefTes the little 

 Foot or Coffin-bone, a Man may in that cafe, in- 

 ftead of grooving the Hoof with a Drawing-Iron, 

 apply the Rays of fire after the manner I have 

 taught you in the Second Tart. Therefore when 

 People fee a Foot thus fired, they (hould not be 

 much ftartled at it, but only conclude that it hath 

 been ftraitned, and that thofe Rays of Fire have 

 been applied to enlarge it. 



You muft now lift up the Foot, the Heel of which 

 mould be pretty high, broad, large, and open, that 

 is, without being Hoof-bound, which is to have it 

 too narrow and ftrait. You fhall alfo coniider if 

 the Frog or Frufh be proportionable to the Foot, 

 and that it be not too little and dry, nor too large 

 and fat. Thofe which are little, and too much 

 dried up, fill to the fhare of Hoof-bound or Nar- 

 row-heel'd Horfes, becaufe the Heel's becoming 

 ftrait, hinder the Frufli from being nourifh'd as it 

 ought. When the Frufh is too large and fat, it is 

 higher than the Sole at the Heels, and is always a 

 token of a very bad Foot. 



The moft part of Horfes which have low Heels, 

 have large and fat Frufhes, fo that they cannot walk 

 but they touch the Ground, and fometimes halt, 

 which mould be well confider'd, becaufe moft. Peo- 

 ple, who underftand Shooing, take down their 

 Horfe's Heels to preferve the Back- finews of their 

 Legs : The Ignorant feeing a Heel cut and taken 

 down in that fafhion, boldly pronounce that a 

 Horfe hath none ; but in that cafe you are to ob- 

 ferve the Frufh, which being but of a middle fize, 

 the Horfe can fcarcely be too low-heel'd. You may 



Know 



