704 



SHOEING. 



FIG. 547. Heel of shoe with pad 

 of oakum attached. 



be made to support the entire sole, if hammered out of iron, the 

 increased weight would make it seriously objectionable. The fit- 

 ting of a thin piece of steel plate, as 

 shown in Fig. 545, would enable this 

 to be done with but little addition to 

 its weight. The manner of putting 

 it on was simply by bringing the 

 whole surface of the wall and frog to 

 an even bearing, to which the shoe 

 was carefully adjusted. 



Next, the space between the shoe 

 and bottom of the foot was filled with 

 oakum, to which was added a little 

 tar and resin, so as to -form an even 

 but firm support all the way round.* 

 The drawing of the oakum, as it 

 appears in Fig. 547, is an exact 



illustration of that which was used upon the shoe named, though 

 only the back part of it is shown. Parties who had used the shoe 

 upon feet which had become sore 

 and tender from driving upon hard, 

 stony roads in the city and neigh- 

 borhood, stated that it enabled the 

 horses to travel much better. If 

 the foot is sore and sensitive, sup- 

 porting it with a bed of oakum in 

 this way, will serve to break con- 

 cussion, and consequently make the 

 horse go better for a time. But for 

 contraction, quarter-crack, coffin- 

 joint lameness, etc., for which it was 

 advertised as a cure, it cannot ben- 

 efit beyond the effect of slightly 

 breaking concussion as explained. It would be just the thing 

 for weak heels and for any condition where the sole and frog 



* A preparation of tar, beeswax, hard soap, and resin, melted and formed into a 

 salve, to be used with oakum as a packing, was given the writer by a horseman of 

 much experience, as the best for this purpose, claiming that it softened the feet and 

 stimulated the secretion of horn. 



FIG. 548. The plate as attached. 



