THE NAIL-HOLES. 17 



all the time icitli the grain of the crusty and at 

 last they bring it out high up in the thinnest 

 part of the hoof, and have the weakest part of 

 the nail for a clench. Now, instead of all this, if 

 3^ou make the holes straight through the shoe, you 

 have only to drive the nail straight, and it will 

 go through the shoe across the grain of the crust 

 and come out low down in the thickest part of 

 the hoof, and give you a strong clench made out 

 of the shank of the nail instead of a weak one 

 made out of the point. The advantage of straight 

 holing is that '^ou are sure never to prick the 

 foot in driving a nail, and you get a firmer hold 

 for the shoe. Everybody knows that a short 

 purchase across the line of the strain is stronger 

 than a longer one in the direction of the strain. 



The soundness of the horse's foot, as far as 

 shoeing is concerned, dej)ends more upon the 

 number of nails and where they are placed than 

 upon any thing else; for if the shoe is ever so 

 badly formed, and the nail-holes are rightly placed, 

 very little harm will happen to the foot beyond 



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