,506 PARING THE SOLE. FROG AND TOE. [BOOK III. 



also the hoof is then too brittle. When the flaki- 

 ness is trivial, run over the whole surface with the 

 knife, but go no deeper than the removal of the 

 loose flakes. La Fosse and Moor croft were both 

 in the right, when they told us that paring the sole 

 inconsiderately is '■ the chief cause of contraction ;" 

 for the sole is thus rendered less capable of resist- 

 ing the pressure of the wall on all sides, and of the 

 coffin-bone within, insomuch, that were the paring 

 carried to an extreme, this bone would protrude at 

 the sole, and come upon the ground for want of 

 sufficient resistance. Whenever a smith applies his 

 thumb to the sole, and then cuts again until he 

 causes it to bend under the pressure, let him be 

 admonished that he contributes his aid towards 

 contraction of the foot, and some one or other dis- 

 ease of the sole. He has but to cut away a little 

 more to arrive at the sensible sole, which would 

 produce blood, and ruin the horse by a quicker 

 mode than this thumbing and cutting, and cutting 

 and thumbing comes to. 



The frog seldom requires the knife ; never after 

 the removal of a shoe which has allowed it to come 

 upon unpared ground ; for then the wearing away 

 is carried on naturally ; but if not so, the rough 

 and rotten outside must be taken away, which some 

 smiths effect by first tearing away the slips, or 

 exfoliation, and then paring the mealy-looking part 

 underneath. Hereupon the well recognised healthy 

 horny frog makes its appearance, but is by no 

 means to be meddled with. The cleft is to be 



