SELECTION OF SHOES. 71 



Horses having become accustomed to toe-pieces, wlieii 

 shod with a level shoe, slip much more for a week or two 

 than do horses which have never learned to rely upon 

 the bar across the toe. Everything considered, I incline 

 to prefer a level shoe in front, and a shoe with two low 

 square calkins behind for heavy draught horses. The 

 enormous width of shoe often used in London is quite 

 unnecessary, it is very heavy and it favors slipping. 

 A narrower shoe must, of course, be a little thicker to 

 meet the wear, but it is lighter and affords better foot- 

 hold, and as slipping and fatigue are both causes of 

 excessive wear, a narrow shoe, weight for weight, will 

 last longer than a broad flat one. 



