FITTING THE SHOE. 735 



varying thickness of the hoof. A better plan would be, after 

 cutting off the requisite length of iron from the unfullered bar, to 

 fuller for each separate nail hole, and not to carry the fullering all 

 the way round; for the more the shoe is fullered, the weaker does 

 it become. 



For a foot with a full amount of horn, y^o^^^^ ^^ ^^ i^^^^ "^i^^ 

 be about an average distance that the nail holes should be from 

 the outside edge of the shoe on its foot-surface : a little more 

 towards the toes, and a little less towards the heels. 



As a rule, the nail holes should not be punched before the 

 foot is ready for the shoe to be applied to it j so that the smith 

 may avoid the parts of the crust which may have been pierced by 

 old nails, or which may have become chipped or split. 



Fitting the Shoe. 



The external margin of the shoe should accurately coincide 

 with that of the hoof, except when the toe is shortened. If that 

 portion of the shoe which is behind the last nail hole, be "set'^ 

 within the outside edge of the wall, it will be very apt, from 

 constant hammering on the ground, to become imbedded into the 

 horn near the heels, which, as I have already said, will conse- 

 quently become unduly lowered. 



For horses used in ordinary light work, it is a clumsy and 

 unworkmanlike practice to leave a large margin of shoe on the 

 outside of the heels, so as to give the foot a false appearance of 

 being open at the heels. It may, possibly, be advisable to do this 

 with heavy cart-horses that have calkins to their shoes, in order 

 to give them increased foot-hold. 



If practicable, the shoe, in ordinary cases, should be fitted on 

 at a red heat, and not when cold. The advantages of the former 

 over the latter practice are as follows : 



1st. The shoe can be put on in half the time. 



2nd. Exact juxtaposition between the iron and the hoof is 

 obtained, with, consequently, increased security. 



3rd. The bearing surface of the wall and sole is rendered 

 impervious to water. 



4th. The charring of the horn renders the hoof less liable to split 

 when the nails are being driven. 



No harm can be done by shoeing hot, if the application of 

 the hot shoe be limited to the indication of horny eminences. 

 Even making a bed for the shoe by applying it at a red heat is 

 unobjectionable, if there is plenty of horn left. 



The heels should on no account be " sprung," that is, no space 

 should be left at the heels between the iron and the horn; for 



