SHOEING. 47 



In paring the foot, be very careful not to cut down the outside, so as to 

 allow the entire weight to rest on the inside of the shoe upon the sole; but 

 •only cut away the dead portion of horn on the sole, and cut down the wall 

 from heel to toe until the bearing is natural, leaving it even and as near its 

 natural state as possible. A red-hot shoe should not be allowed to be burned 

 into the foot to fit it. 



The shoe to be selected should depend upon the condition of the foot 

 and the condition of the roads, etc. The flat shoe, when properly applied, 

 leaves the foot nearest its natural shape, by allowing the horse a good, even 

 foundation to stand upon, and is most likely to give satisfaction for all 

 ordinary purposes. At some seasons of the year it will be necessary to have 

 calks upon the shoes, but ordinarily the foot should be allowed to come as 

 near the ground as possible. 



What we mean by the flat shoe is one flat upon its superior surface, which 

 -comes in direct contact with the hoof, the under surface being partially 

 concave, so as to assist the horse in grasping the ground, to prevent slipping 

 and to assist in progressing. 



The shoe should he as big as the foot so as not to require any cutting down 

 _the hoof so as to make it fit the shoe, and the heels of the shoe should not 

 be permitted to project backwards beyond the heel of the hoof more than 

 about one-eighth of an inch. 



The outward margin of the shoe should just coiTCspond wuth the shape 

 of the foot, except at the heel, where the shoe should be a little wider from 

 quarter to heel, especially on the outside. 



Many persons are not aware of the thinness of the hoof, which makes it 

 ■quite necessary that the nail holes should be near the edge, and quite well 

 forward in the toe, so as to avoid driving the nails into the quick, which 

 would cause serious lameness and injury. 



Do not rasp under the nail clinches, nor over them; and do not use the 

 rasp at all on the outside of the hoof, not even below the clinches, except 

 just enough near the shoe to round the edge, and do not cut down the hoof 

 if you have used a shoe which is too small. 



A nail for a horse's foot differs materially from every other kind of nail, 

 not only in shape, but in the quality of iron from which it should be made; 

 it is important that it should be made from the very best of iron, free from 

 flaws, seams, liability to sliver, and all sulphurous gases in the process of 

 manufacture. It is presumed that every shoer knows that a nail forged 

 hot, from the end of a rod, needs no argument to convince any one that a 

 better nail is thus obtained than by punching, rolling and shearing them 

 from a cold plate. The numerous and well authenticated cases where 

 valuable horses have been ruined by using cold rolled nails, are enough to 

 deter any first-class shoer from driving anything but a Hot Forged nail, 



