46 THE ART OF HORSE-SHOEING. 



harm is done by excessive raspinfc- A strong foot does 

 not suffer miicii, but its strength is preserved by leaving 

 the hard outer surface intact. Rasping off an outer 

 layer of horn favors evaporation and hardening of the 

 underneath layer, and the toughness so desirable is to 

 some degree replaced by hardness and brittleness. 



Fig. 31.— a Pared-out Sole, bars destroyed and bearing surface 

 for shoe reduced to a narrow ridge. 



Excessive rapping below the clenches is even more injur- 

 ious than rasping above them. The wall, between its 

 bearing surface and the clenches, has to withstand the 

 contact of the shoe and the perforation by nails. It 

 should be the toughest and strongest part, and, therefore, 

 should not be rasped more than is necessary to lay down 

 the clenches and finish the fitting. Unfortunately, the 

 neatest work is done by fitting a shoe " close" and then 

 rasping oft" any protruding horn. This is bad for the 

 foot, as it weakens the wall and spoils the bearing &ur- 

 face at each shoeing. The worst offenders in this direc- 

 tion are dealers, who sacrifice everything to appearances 

 and insist upon shoeing being neat at all hazards. 



Opening the Heels is one of the gravest faults a 

 farrier can be guilty of. It consists in cutting away the^ 

 extremity of the wall at the heel and generally a slice off 



