THE SHOEING OF THE HORSE 205 



bearing towards the vein and sole. The concavity is useful 

 in admitting the play of the sole, and in permitting the free 

 use of the pickei-, and letting out again all dirt or stones 

 that may get in. 



Putting on the Shoe. — The first thing is the selection of 

 the shoe ; and in this, experience and a judicious eye is 

 worth all the writing and book-learning of a college. The 

 judgment of a shoeing smith is shown in the adaptation in 

 quantity and quality of the iron to the horse. The thick- 

 walled foot will require a good bearing ; the thin hoof 

 cannot carry a heavy shoe, though it stands most in need of 

 defence. The hoof, too, should guide the farrier in the 

 number of nails. The shoe is the work of the " fireman," 

 as he is called in the forge ; the preparation, of the " door- 

 man," who also nails on and clenches the shoe made by the 

 " fireman." The " doorman " takes the task of preparing 

 the foot, as already described, to receive the shoe, by 

 removing the superfluous horn of the sole. 



For hunting, the shoe must be narrower than for the road, 

 and an additional nail may be placed on the inside ; no evil 

 will result from this, because in the field the pressure on the 

 crust is, in a great degree, relieved by the sole and frog. 

 There must be space for a picker to pass between the foot 

 and inner rim of the shoe, but no more, as the foot can then 

 be withdrawn from heavy soil with less difiiculty than when 

 the usual space is permitted. To avoid overreaching, the 

 heels of the fore shoes should scarcely project beyond the 

 heels of the crust, and they should be rounded off, instead 

 of being left square, as is usually the case. The hind shoes 

 should also, where there is any disposition to overreach, be 

 square at the toe, set a little within the crust ; and the 

 inner rim at the toe should have a piece cut out, so that, 

 instead of a sharp edge, there should be a rounded surface, 

 which, of course, is not so likely to catch the heels of the 

 fore feet. 



Nailing requires much previous study of the formation 

 and functions of the internal sensible parts of the foot, 

 many injuries being inflicted by penetrating those parts to 

 the quick. A good aphorism has it thus : '' If it were 

 possible to keep the shoe in position without nailing, we 

 should then have arrived at perfection in the art of shoeing ; 

 it follows that the least number of nails that are driven, 

 consistent with safety, is the most commendable practice." 



