STABLE MANAGEMENT 245 



tool is ground down on a grindstone. The thin rim 

 composing the wall, it must be remembered, has to sustain 

 the entire weight of the horse, and resist all concussion in 

 galloping and jumping ; so the necessity of retaining its 

 entire substance, and not weakening it in any way whatever, 

 will be obvious. 



The sole of the foot, except at its junction with the 

 wall, has little weight to sustaiii, and instead of being 

 formed in long fibres like the wall, is secreted by the 

 sensitive sole inside in such a manner that it does not 

 grind away from contact with the ground like the crust, 

 but exfoliates instead as each layer is no longer needed. 

 Coming away in large flakes as it does, there is not only no 

 necessity for the smith to remove any of the horn from beneath 

 the sole, but he is actually doing harm by so doing ; and yet 

 such is the perversity of human nature that it is almost im- 

 possible, unless a master stands over the smith at the time, 

 to prevent his removing the flakes, which would naturally 

 slough away as soon as the layer beneath was ready to 

 take their place. The one thing the sole needs is 

 simply to be let alone. There is then such a thickness of 

 hard material underneath the sensitive sole that the 

 shallowest-footed horse can travel over newly broken stones, 

 without being inconvenienced by treading on them in the 

 least. The rim of the wall, however, of necessity requires 

 different treatment, for being protected by the shoe the 

 fibres are no longer reduced by being worn away, and 

 therefore the knife of the smith is necessary to trim them 

 down to proper dimensions. 



When the smith cannot stay his hand from paring out the 

 sole, which to his fancy gives it a nice open appearance, he 

 can hardly help interfering with the bars, those important 

 structures designed by Nature to prevent the heels con- 

 tracting, and which office they efficiently perform. Especially 

 must the angle be left alone, which is formed by their 

 junction with the crust ; for if that is removed the heels 

 will in most cases incline inwards towards the frog, impeding 

 its expansion and gradually squeezing it almost out of 

 existence. Especially is this the case with those high, 



