14 TREATISE ON HORSE- SHOEING. 



foot should be flat, with a weak, brittle crust, you 

 must still choose a stout shoe; for a horse with 

 such a foot could not go at all upon a bent shoe; 

 and the shoe must have a wide web, because the 

 sole is sure to be thin and will need plenty of 

 cover to protect it. 



You must also look to the seating; for, if the 

 foot is weak and flat, the shoe must be well seated 

 out, to prevent its pressing upon and bruising the 

 sole; but if the foot is strong, and the sole 

 arched, there need not be more seating than will 

 allow the point of a picker to pass freely round 

 between the sole and the shoe; otherwise dirt and 

 small stones will get in, and bruise the sole as 

 much as the shoe w^ould do if it pressed upon it. 



CUTTING OFF THE HEELS. 



Having fixed upon a shoe to your mind, begin 

 by cutting off the heels: and you will find a half- 

 round chisel a better tool for the purpose than a 

 straight one, because you should never cut them 



