728 SHOEINGr. 



to cause the horse to stumble and fall by the painful pressure 

 produced on that part of the weakened sole which is in contact 

 with the stone, when the animal puts weight on the foot. I 

 have proved experimentally that, under ordinary circumstances, 

 picking up a stone (supposing seated shoes are worn) will seldom 

 cause a horse to go lame, provided that the sole and bars have 

 not been mutilated. The extreme frequency of this accident 

 being followed by lameness, shows that blacksmiths as a rule 

 make far too much use of the drawing knife on the sole and bars. 

 2nd. In order that the frog may bear weight, the shoe should 

 generally be as thin as practicable, consistent with its standing 

 wear and retaining its shape. 



Fig. 189. — Section through a hoof shod with a seated shoe and 

 having the sole pared out. 



3rd. The shoe should, as a rule, be of a uniform thickness at 

 the toes, quarters, and heels, so that the proper " bearing " of 

 the foot be not disturbed. 



4:th. The shape of the foot-surface of the shoe should follow 

 the general form of the weight-bearing surfaces of the wall and 

 sole. Hence, it should be broad at the toes, and comparatively 

 narrow at the heels; provided always, that at the latter part 

 the web is broad enough to rest on the bars, as well as on 

 the wall of the heels (Fig. 190). As the shoe is not fixed by nails 

 at the heels, a little margin should be left, in the event of the 

 shoe shifting, or of its heels opening out. If such a contingency 

 happened without allowance having been made, the horn of the 



