any. In nailing a shoe, start the heel, nails first. It is 

 more apt to leave the shoe where you intended it to be. It 

 often saves this pounding with the hammer on the outside of 

 the wall, that is another practice that's neither good or nec- 

 essary. The simple job of clinching is often done in a 

 thoughtless way, first the clinch gets a tap with the hammer 

 to turn it a little, and when it is in good position to lay, then 

 with two or three hard blows, the floorman will drive it into 

 the hoof. Directly under the clinch is the nail itself, under- 

 neath the nail is the sensitive lamina, and, in most cases, 

 dangerously close to the sensitive part, two or three hard 

 blows is liable to force the nail blade between the exterior 

 wall to the sensitive structure. 



Ignorance or thoughtlessness in clinching can be the 

 cause of separating the lining between the sensitive and in- 

 sensitive parts of the hoof. Let me repeat, this pounding 

 on the outer wall is neither good nor necessary. In finish- 

 ing, file no other part of the wall, only the clinches. 



The shoe should fit the foot flush, with the toe like the 

 branches of the heels beveled. Shoeing done as described 

 above is not against the good of the foot. It is said, and of- 

 ten repeated that horseshoeing is a necessary evil, but I 

 know it is not. It is a science, and, anyway, there are no 

 such things as necessary evils. It is not the question, shoes 

 or no shoes ; but, rather, the kind of shoes and the manner 

 of its application to the foot. Nature has provided the 

 horse with the hoof with intention for protection. 



But we are somewhat slow in learning how to properly 

 protect them and, therefore, it is still the belief among some 

 people that horseshoers are doing an evil business, and it is 

 because horseshoeing is not improving like other arts and 

 science. It is a good deal like this, some horseshoers crip- 

 ple horses by the use of clips, others can use clips to benefit 

 the feet and make them go sound thereby, and so it is with 

 the whole horseshoeing operation. If it is done right it is 

 not a necessary evil, it is similar to that, as a man thinks in 



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