96 ARTISTIC HORSE-SHOEING. 



Under natural conditions the frog- is shed every three 

 months in a healthy foot and oug-ht never to be touched by 

 the farrier ; when the sensitive frog is subjected to the ordi- 

 nary banging and concussion which it will receive if let alone 

 the outside horny frog will shed itself. Cutting- the frog- 

 aw^ay stops the growth of the foot at least a year. 



FOOT SHOWING A TOE CRACK. 



Fig-. 56 represents a foot with a toe crack. This is a very 

 common occurrence, but toe cracks are not seen nearly as 



A 

 Fig. 58.— Foot showing a Toe Crack. 



often as quarter cracks. The point A in the engraving- re- 

 presents the split in the toe. In shoeing' a split toe always 

 cut out the hoof with a knife or rasp to the shape shown in 

 the illustration. B}^ tliis means the bearing- is taken off 

 from the crack. In such cases a calk shoe (such as will be 

 found described elsewhere) is used. This lets the horse 



