ON SHOEING. 51 



55. A great advantage is gained in the form of fu^",^*,^^^ 

 nails, by making use of countersunk nail-holes. ^°^^^- 

 With them the heads of the nail can never wear 



out, if they fit the holes, until the shoe itself is 

 worn through. With these nails the head should 

 exactly occupy and completely fill the hole. No 

 portion of the thin part of the nail should be in the 

 shoe, nor any portion of the thick part or head in 

 the crust. The thin part should begin where the 

 nail quits the shoe to enter the crust. 



56. Nails made with rose and other heads, and Holes for 



rose- 

 nails made in the usual form for fullered shoes, do headed 



nails. 



not in general fit exactly into the holes. Frequently 

 a portion of the neck of the nail is in the shoe. 

 These are all apt to break at the junction of the 

 thin part with the head ; and again a portion of * 

 the head is pretty generally left projecting below 

 the shoe. 



57. The heads of the nails should not project Naii-heads 



•"• '' not to pro- 



below, but should be driven down flush with the jfctbeiow 



the shoes. 



shoe. The necessary accuracy in punching coun- 

 tersinks of the proper size, and selecting nails to fit 

 them, will give the farrier a little extra trouble. 



The objections to the nails projecting below the 

 shoe are, first, that the horse must, except on soft 

 ground, stand uncomfortably on them, until the 

 excrescences are worn down ; and secondly, that 



4—2 



