DRIVING THE NAILS. 169 



driven into a hoof that is light and thin, or into any ordinary 

 foot, as they split and shell the hoof, and spoil it. 



DRIVING THE NAILS. 



Let the nails be driven well forward in the toe, or outside 

 the toe. See that the quarters are not bound so firmly to the 

 shoe that they are not free to spread freely as the foot grows ; 

 for as the foot grows, it is just so far losing its original pro- 

 portion with the shoe, because getting constantly wider and 

 longer than it was when the shoe was put on. 



Do not allow, on any condition, thick, heavy shoes on a 

 light, thin-shelled foot, with square heels. 



BASPINQ THE HOOP. 



Do not allow any rasping, more than a little around the 

 edge of the toe, but any splinters cut out. The less filing 

 and rasping of the surface of the hoof, the better. Do not 

 allow the feet to become dry and hard. Do not allow a 

 favorite, valuable horse to stand in a narrow stall he cannot 

 move in. Give room, and plenty of it. 



It is but proper the writer should acknowledge his indebt- 

 edness to Mr. Robert Bonner of " The New York Ledger," 

 and Dr. Bryden of Boston, for many valuable ideas on shoe- 

 ing. Dr. Bryden is specially skilful in the treatment of the 

 feet, and I am only doing him simple justice in recommend- 

 ing him to the confidence of those who are able to secure 

 his services. Mr. Bonner is the most thorough student of 

 the foot, and the principles of its care in shoeing, the writer 

 has ever met. A good many in the country think the editor 

 of the famous "Ledger," and equally famous stable of trot- 

 ters, is admitted skilful because wealthy ; while the fact is, he 

 is undoubtedly the deepest and best thinker on the science 

 of shoeing in this or any other country. No other man has 

 studied the causes and principles of curing contraction so 

 thoroughly, or the weight and form of construction of shoes 

 to harmonize with action with such nicety. Observing with 

 the greatest care the speed and action of each horse, with 

 different forms of shoe, he knows how to remedy every de- 

 fect with precision ; and I am safe in saying that he has no 

 peer as a keen student of the points and conditions of shoe- 

 ing, and keeping the feet strong and healthy. 



