SHOEING. 81 



the heel, just the last quarter of an inch, so as to allow 

 the heel of the frog, where the cleft is, to expand, and 

 prevent the horn bending in there. Neither cut the 

 frog unless it is ragged, excepting towards the toe ; 

 and only there, if it should be hard and higher than 

 the heel.* Lastly, file till the crust and bars are even, 

 leaving the frog, if possible, the eighth of an inch high- 

 er, so that it shall be just within the level of the shoe. 

 The toe should always be shortened as much as it 

 will admit of, and any unevenness in the w T all rasped 

 smooth. There should be room enough for the edge 

 of a knife- blade to play between the shoe and the 

 crust at the heel when on ; and the shoe at the heel 

 should extend the eighth of an inch beyond the crust 

 on the inside, as well as the outside. You need not 

 fear that this will be a cause of cutting : a horse cuts 

 with the quarter, sometimes with the coronet ; his legs 

 must be very faultily placed to cut with the heel. 

 The natural well-formed foot, also, is a smaller 

 half circle on the inside than the outside, as shown 

 at page 26 ; and this form is, of course, to be pre- 

 served. 



THREE-QUARTER SHOES AND TIPS. 



Three-quarter shoes I dislike, for I think they 

 lame as many horses as they cure of contraction : 

 they lame, because they are rarely put on good feet, 

 but on those that have contracted heels, in the hope 

 that the heels will open without the horse being ta- 

 ken out of work ; but it is only strong black heels 



* If the frog is deficient in height, after the heels have been lowered, tar 

 must be daily laid over it. If naturally too high, which is not so often the 

 case, it may be slightly pared. 



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