OF SHOEING. 31 



surface of the foot, when freshly cut down and pre- 

 pared to receive the shoe. 



An objection is sometimes raised to fore shoes of 

 the full length of the crust on account of a fear 

 that the hind shoes may catch in them and pull 

 them off. There is, however, no fear of this acci- 

 dent occurring, where the heels are not longer than 

 the crust. The possibihty of it will be prevented 

 by sloping off the heels of the fore shoe in the 

 direction of the fibres of the crust, and by sloping 

 off the under inner anterior edge of the hind 

 shoe. 



35. The thickness of the shoe must be such that, Thickness 



•IT 1 'L -n P 1 of the shoe. 



With ordmary work, it will wear for a month. 



36. Every person accustomed to horses must have Weight 

 remarked the very uneven manner in which the to be evenly 



-,. , '^ , -I ,1 « 1 • T distributed 



wear is distributed over the tore shoe m ordinary over the 

 use. At the end of the month the toe is the only 

 part worn out. 



It is inconsistent with the general structure of the 

 foot, and with the beautiful economy of space and 

 material shown by nature in all her works, to sup- 

 pose that such unequal wearing can be natural. • 



The structure of the weight-bearing portion of 

 the foot sufficiently indicates, that the weight is 

 intended to be pretty evenly distributed over the 

 foot. The crust itself is continued completely round 



