NAILIXG OX THE SHOE. 33 



and the loose end only remains buried in the 

 notch in the hoof. You will do good by rasping 

 heloio the clenches, because you will remove the 

 horn that has been destroyed by the former nails; 

 but on no account ever use the rasp ahove the 

 clenches. If you do, you will tear off the thin outer 

 covering of the hoof, which is placed there for the 

 purpose of retaining the natural moisture and 

 keeping the horn tough ; and if you rasp it away 

 you will expose the horn to the air, and it will 

 soon become dry and brittle and make the hoof 

 difficult to shoe. This thin covering of the hoof 

 is like the shining covering of a man's finger-nail; 

 and most people know from experience how dry 

 and brittle and easily broken a finger-nail becomes 

 when by any accident it loses that covering. 



Plate y. represents the ground-surface of a near 

 fore-foot with the shoe nailed on by five nails. 

 Fig. 1 shows the shoe in its place on the foot, 

 and Fig. 2 represents the same shoe made trans- 

 parent, so that the j)^i'ts of the foot that are 

 covered by it are seen through it. A shows the 



