THE ART OF SHOEING HORSES. 



There is something in the foot of the horse that has 

 been a mystery to many who have been unable to find out 

 the secrets by reading some of the books that have been 

 printed on the different subjects, and experimenting on the 

 same, pertaining to a perfect balance of the trotter and 

 pacer when in action. 



I have shod all kinds of horses and have come in con- 

 tact with all kinds of feet, and with the results gotten by 

 practical experiments, I will try to enlighten my readers 

 and the lovers of the light-harness horse. 



I. FOALS. 



The feet of the suckling foal should be properly fixed 

 every four or five weeks. After the foal is eight or nine 

 weeks old his feet need fixing regularly. To fix the feet 

 on the young foal shorten the toes as much as the foot will 

 stand without making the foot tender, and then rasp the 

 quarters down to a level with the frog, or a little lower than 

 the top of the frog will be better, then round the sharp 

 edges of foot off so as the foal will not cut his legs with 

 the sharp edges and the job is completed. Do not cut out 

 the bars, or the sole, or the frog. Now if you have noticed 

 that a foal stands toeing out, leave the inside of the toe of 

 that foot a little the longest from the coronet, an eighth or 

 three-sixteenths of an inch will be a benefit to the foot, also 

 to the line of action later on, and if the foal toes in, leave 

 the outside of the toe the longest, as it will help to straighten 

 matters in the line of action. 



In fixing the foal's feet it is very good to rasp the 

 quarters and heels low enough so as to give a slight frog 



