A SHOE ENABLING OPENING QUARTERS AS DESIRED. 157 



rately the distance between the heels of the shoe. The 

 quarter that is contracted most first open, but not over an 

 eighth of an inch; then open the other about half that 

 space. You cannot with safety spread the heels more than 

 three-sixteenths of an inch at a time, and either quarter not 

 over an eighth of an inch. If you spread the quarters the 

 least too much you may cause violent inflammation, which 

 must be arrested promptly. About an hour after the quar- 

 ters are spread, examine the horse carefully ; and if the foot 

 is sore, with a hammer knock back the side bent too much, 

 to remove the pressure. Next, put the foot in cold water, 

 or tie a wet rag around it ; the 

 inflammation will subside very 

 quickly. Every few days spread a 

 little more, not over an eighth of an 

 inch at a time, until the quarters 

 are spread as far as you desire, 

 and the foot is brought back to 

 its natural shape. A shoe of the 

 form described for the cure of con- 

 traction should not * be thick nor 

 heavy, just what is necessary for 

 strength to support the strain upon 

 it. The heels should not be over a 

 quarter of an inch thick, to allow 

 the frog having contact with the 

 ground. If in the winter, and corks 

 are necessary, fit the shoe first, 

 corks, &c., as you desire ; then drill 

 the holes in place up near the 

 corks. It is very easily done, and can be fitted to a hair, 

 and no one can detect any unusual form of shoe, when on, 

 unless attention is called to it. The principle of weakening 

 the shoe on each side well forward in the toe, and turning 

 the inside of the heels up in the form of clips, to rest against 

 the inside of the bars at the heel, is well known. It is next 

 to impossible to fit this form of the shoe to the foot. If in 

 the least too large or small, it would be all out of shape. 

 I tried it over and over again, and gave up in despair. With 

 a tongs or screw, the pressure being equal on both quarters, 

 there was usually a too violent strain of the quarter from the 



(No. 28.) 



The foot with the heels opened 

 by the expansion shoe. 



