76 thp: art of iiorse-shoking 



contrivances, by which the shoe \ields to the foot ; 

 most of them admirable in principle, but incom- 

 patible with practice. It is now quite obvious that 

 their mistake, together with a prodigious sacrifice 

 of valuable time, is owing to the complexity of 

 their efforts in making the iron shoe to spread with 

 the foot, which is ahogether useless and uncalled 

 for, as the foot can dilate with much less embar- 

 rassment by itself, the ordinary shoe being affixed, 

 except with the omission of the nails in the inside 

 quarter. 

 The form of Whcu I sav thc Ordinary or common shoe, I mean 



shoe. *' 



that well-wrought piece of iron commonly applied 

 in the principal forges in London and its vicinity, 

 under the appellation of the seated shoe, of equal 

 thickness toe and heel. The Hat marofin of the 

 foot surface of this shoe, on which the crust rests, 

 should be strictly level, particularly on the inside 

 quarter, as any burr or edge would lend to impede 

 Clips iiidis- the expansion of the hoof. Clips, judiciously 



pensablc. , , . •!• • i • ^ \ 



placed, are important auxiliaries to tins mode of 

 nailing : in fact, they are indispensable ; but two 

 only are necessary to each shoe ; the clip in front 

 I prefer in the centre of the shoe, rather than the 

 inside toe ; the other on the outside (juarter, im- 

 Niimberof mediately anterior to thc heel nail. The number 

 of nails not to be less than seven, nor to exceed 

 nine, and to be thus disposed of; six in the outside 

 <piarter and toe of the foot, and two in the inside 

 toe ; no nuil-hole to be punched immediately in the 



