THE SHOEING OF THE HORSE 203 



it in the tongs over "the bick " with the hand-hammer; 

 but with the heavier cart-horse shoes, it is usual not to cut 

 it from the bar till a circular figure is given it, for which 

 the bar itself serves as a powerful and convenient handle. 

 Some, however, prefer cutting the cart-horse iron into equal 

 lengths first, as we have just described, and then bending 

 these pieces, by placing one end upon the anvil, and resting 

 the other against the head of the sledge-hammer, bending it 

 by a few blows of the hand-hammer, which thus gives to 

 all the shoes an equal weight and size. The iron, having 

 received the requisite curve, is then cut off, and is termed 

 " a mould." 



It is usual for the workman to finish the outer limb of the 

 shoe first, which being roughly formed, and the web thinned 

 and hollowed out, is commonly reversed by the smith ; that 

 is, the hammered side is brought to the anvil, that which 

 was before next the anvil being more smooth and uniform 

 in its surface, and of better appearance. 



The shoe, or rather the outer limb of it, is then fullered ; 

 that is, a deep groove or channel is driven round it, at a 

 small distance from the outer edge, indenting it more than 

 half through the thickness of the iron. The tool for 

 " fullering " is a sort of chisel, about four inches long and 

 two wnde, flat and almost concave on one side and very 

 convex and rounded on the other, and circular below on its 

 cutting edge. It is generally used in a rod of hazel, the flat 

 side to the interior of the shoe, and the convex side to the 

 exterior ; it is hastily driven along the limb, deeply indenting 

 it, and forming a channel at a suitable distance from its 

 exterior edge. The fullering is useful on several accounts, 

 as preparing it for the nails, as the pritchel can then pass 

 through the iron without much difficulty ; it also renders 

 the shoe somewhat wider without adding to its weight, and 

 gives it a much more agreeable and lighter appearance. 

 The hind shoes, even for saddle horses,are often not fullered — 

 at least, only on the sides and for a short distance ; nor are 

 the cart-horse shoes, either fore or hind. 



The outer limb being finished, the inner limb is next 

 formed, somew^hat narrower and finer than the other — that 

 is, straighter, and less projecting in the middle exteriorly ; 

 the nail-holes, also, are more carefully brought nearer to the 

 exterior edge, and are made smaller, especially the last, and 

 not so far back, or near to the inflexures, as in the outer 



