726 SHOEINO. 



the shoe, being immovable at the toe, protects it from wear, but 

 the heels are constantly battered down by the iron of that part. 

 Hence, when the shoe has been on for some time, the toe will 

 require to be reduced much more than the heels. As a rule, in 

 order to allow for the thickness of the shoe, the toe will require 

 to be lowered as much as jDossible, without, however, running any 

 chance of making the horse " go tender." It is advisable, there- 

 fore, to begin by lowering the foot without touching the heels; 

 and when the horn at the toe has been sufficiently reduced, we may 

 see if we cannot lower the heels without injuriously affecting the 

 slope of the foot. Usually, a good deal of confusion exists in 

 the application of the terms " lowering the toe " and " shortening 

 the toe," which, in its correct acceptation, means reduction of the 

 length of the long axis of the hoof by vertical removal of horn at 

 the toe. In lowering the toe, the removal is effected horizontally. 

 Approval, in a general way, of the adage that we should fit the 

 shoe to the foot, and not the foot to the shoe, ought not to blind 

 us to the advantage to be obtained, in many cases, from increased 

 leverage, by shortening the toe ; that is, by placing the toe of the 

 shoe further back than the toe of the hoof, and then rasping 

 off the projecting portion of horn. This procedure is almost im- 

 perative in the shoeing of the hind feet of hunters, which are 

 generally obliged to have the toes of their hind feet made 

 " square," so as to diminish the risk of over-reaching. After the 

 reduction of horn has been made, the weight-bearing surface of 

 the wall and sole should be perfectly fiat. Any " thinning of 

 the sole," " opening out the heels," paring down the frog, or cutting 

 away the bars, should on no account be allowed; beyond slightly 

 easing off the " seat of corn " with the drawing knife, so that 

 the shoe may not press on it, and removing any loose portions 

 of the frog in order to prevent the lodgment of moisture, which 

 would tend to rot the frog. In lowering the wall and bars it is 

 perhaps safest to restrict the shoeing smith to the use of the 

 rasp; although the drawing knife will be required to cut away 

 any loose or undermined portions of the frog. Care should be 

 taken that the heels and quarters are kept level. If the heels 

 are unnaturally low, allowance should be made by the employment 

 of thick-heeled shoes. "When the circumference of the hoof has 

 at length been brought to a condition to receive the shoe, the 

 rasp must finish its task by removing the sharp edge, and rounding 

 it so as to leave a thick strong border not likely to chip. The 

 unshod hoof nearly always exhibits this provision against the 

 fracture of the wall-fibres" {Fleming). Wlien a horse goes bare- 

 foot, even for a short time, this should also be done. 



It was formerly a very common custom to mutilate the horse's 



