730 SHOEING. 



case of making shoes out of iron bars of uniform shape and sub- 

 stance, Fig. 191) is the frequent cause of the fore shoes of saddle 

 and light harness horses opening out at the heels, and thus 

 necessitating a visit to the smithy before the proper time. Side 

 clips help to prevent lateral rotation of the shoe, but toe clips 

 have no effect in this useful respect. An experience of eighteen 

 years among horses in India, in which country clips to shoes are 

 very rarely used, convinces me that the employment of toe clips 

 is by no means a necessity. Also my experience in England shows 

 me that they are often a cause of foot disease, by exerting hurtful 

 pressure on the toe of the pedal bone and its sensitive structures. 

 The result of this harmful pressure can often be seen by a 2^ost 

 mortem examination of the pedal bone, as in Fig. 192, which 

 exhibits a deep depression at the toe of the pedal bone that was 



Fig. 191. — Foot surface of concave bar. 



evidently produced by the pressure of the clip of the shoe. Here 

 we have a potent factor in the formation of horn tumours (p. 213). 

 The pedal bone in question had, on both sides, large side bones 

 (Fig. 193), which were particularly well developed at the quarters 

 (p. 276). 



6th. When the heels of the hoof are unnaturally low, thick- 

 heeled shoes may be employed. 



7th. Care should be taken to make the heels of the shoes, on 

 their foot-surface, perfectly flat; so that the heels of the hoofs 

 may have no tendency to contract, on account of resting on 

 surfaces which slope inwards. 



8th. The shoes should be made to project slightly beyond the 

 ends of the heels (without any risk being run of a fore shoe 

 getting caught by a hind shoe), so that the heels of the shoe 

 may rest on the solid pieces of horn that are found immediately 

 behind the angle formed by the wall and bar. If the heels of 



