PLATES 115 



when the outer edge of the shoe is made to coincide, as it 

 ought to do, with that of the ground surface of the foot. 



It is well to fit on the shoes hot, although this cannot 

 always be done in India. 



The shoeing smith should refrain, as much as possible, 

 from rasping the external surface of the hoof. He should 

 not "spring" the heels of the shoe, i.e. he should not 

 leave a space between them and the horny heels ; and he 

 should on no account be allowed to hammer down the 

 heels of the shoe on to the heels of the hoof after the 

 nails have been driven, for this practice is a fruitful cause 

 of corns, as it gives rise to undue pressure on the '' seat of 

 corn." 



Native shoeing smiths, to save themselves trouble, will 

 almost always, if ordered to supply thick-heeled shoes, 

 bring ordinary ones, the heels of which they have thick- 

 ened by simply reducing the width of the web by ham- 

 mering, instead of getting shoes made expressly for the 

 purpose required. As they manufacture neither shoes 

 nor nails, but obtain them ready made from the mistree 

 (blacksmith), there is usually some difficulty in inducing 

 them to adopt any new ideas concerning the shape of 

 shoes. 



Plates are simply very light shoes, which are intended 

 to last for only one or two races. They are generally 

 fixed on the morning of the day before the race, and, to 

 see that all is right, the horse is then sent for a short 

 gallop, which constitutes that day's work. A light plate 

 for an Arab will weigh about 2J oz., and be about | in. 

 broad. But, as most horses out here have to run at dif- 

 ferent meetings that follow each other in quick succession, 



