264 REMOUNT SYSTEMS OF FOREIGN ARMIES. 



their three obligatory years and have voluntarily reenlisted. 

 Promising assistant farriers are selected, one from each bri- 

 gade, and sent to the farriers' school at Saumur, where they 

 undergo a thorough course in their trade, and upon passing an 

 examination receive a brevet which quickly promotes them 

 to farrier and chief farrier. Only men who agree to reenlist 

 are accorded this privilege. Farriers are given competitive 

 examinations for the grade of chief farrier. 



The farrier receives, besides the pay and allowances of his 

 grade (private, corporal, or sergeant), an additional pay reg- 

 ulated by the number of horses he keeps shod. This amounts 

 generally to 5 cents per month per horse unshod, 16 cents per 

 horse shod in front, and 33 cents per horse shod all around. 

 He is required to renew each horse's shoes once a month. He 

 must keep at all times an extra set of shoes, carefully fitted, 

 for each horse under his care, and labeled with the horse's 

 name and number. This is in addition to the reserve shoes 

 kept on hand in the "mobilization stores." The farrier is 

 required also to renew on the forehoofs, whenever necessary, 

 the branding of the horse's number and the letter of the 

 organization. The farrier has many privileges, such as liv- 

 ing at the canteen, sleeping out of barracks, etc. His wife is 

 given preference as cantiniere. 



SHOEING. 



In the army the adjustment of the shoe is either a la fran- 

 gaise or a I'anglaise, generally the former. In the former 

 the upper surface of the shoe is made slightly concave, the 

 lower or wearing surface is made convex, and there is no 

 beveling of this face. The incurving is greatest at the toe, 

 diminishes to nothing at the quarter, and from there on to 

 the heel the shoe is flat. No channel is cut on the lower 

 surface for the nail heads, but each head is countersunk. 



The front shoes are of uniform width from toe to quarter; 

 the hind shoes are appreciably wider at the toe than at the 

 heel. Nail holes are evenly spaced ; hind shoes have no nails 

 at the toe; generally, eight nails for front and hind, some- 

 times six. 



In the adjustment a I'anglaise, the exterior circumference 

 of the uppei" surface of the shoe, where the horn bears, is 

 flat; the part where the sole bears is beveled off. The lower 

 or wearing surface is flat, and the nail holes are made in a 



