70 THE ART OF HORSE-SHOEING. 



Hunting Shoes sliould be light, very secure, and of 

 a form to give good foot-liold. The best are flat on the 

 foot-surface, and fullered and concave on the ground- 

 surface. The hind shoe should also be concave on the 

 ground surface, but to avoid the injury of over-reaching 

 the inner circumference at the toe should be rounded and 

 smooth. A small square calkin at each heel affords grip 

 on grass, and especially in going down hill at a fast pace. 



Hacks, being used on hard roads, must have heavier 

 shoes than hunters, but the form may be the same. 



Carriage Horses require more substance in their 

 shoes than hacks, and the narrow concave shoes suitable 

 for hunters and hacks cannot give sufiBcient durability. 

 The double-grooved shoe known as " Rodway's " is the 

 best for this class. On ordinary roads the hind feet may 

 be shod with a common two heeled shoe, but on wood 

 and asphalt, the heavier sizes of Rodway iron make a 

 shoe that affords very good foot-hold and dispenses with 

 the necessity for calkins. 



Omnibus and Van Horses require stronger shoes to 

 meet the hard wear entailed by their work. The lieavy 

 Rodway iron makes very suitable front shoes, but the 

 hind shoes must be solid with only a fullering for the 

 nails, or, as many prefer, each nail-hole separately 

 stamped. As a rule, the hind shoes of this class of horse 

 have calkins on the outside heel. If the vehicle in which 

 they run is provided with a foot-break, calkins are 

 unnecessary, and the advantages of a level shoe should 

 be made use of. The advantages are — better foot-hold, 

 longer wear and less danger from treads and " cutting." 



Heavy Draught Horses. — In Scotland and in the 

 North of England, this class of horse is shod with a toe- 

 piece and calkins on both fore and hind-shoes. In Lon- 

 don, calkins are only put on the hind shoes, and toe- 

 pieces are not used at all. On paved streets where a 

 sjjace exists between the rows of stones, and especially if 

 the road be hilly, I think toe-pieces are advisable, and of 

 course when they are used, calkins must bo also made. 



