SHOEING. 169 



which is generally the case, more particularly 

 at the toe, and this is to be done by means of 

 a buttress or rasp : the loose scaly parts of the 

 sole are likewise to be removed, so as to pre- 

 serve its concavity ; and a small cavity is to 

 be made with a drawing knife, between the 

 bar and crust, to prevent the shoe from press- 

 ing pn that part, and occasioning corns : it is, 

 however, necessary, in doing this, to take 

 particular care that the connection between 

 the bar and crust is not destroyed or weak- 

 ened, which would of course render the bar 

 useless. 



The junction of the bar and crust affords a 

 firm bearing for the heel of the shoe, and is to 

 be rasped perfectly flat, and so low as to be 

 exactly on a level with the frog, that they 

 may bear equally on a plane surface before 

 the shoe is applied; indeed, the whole of the 

 bottom of the crust is to be made perfectly 

 flat and even at the same time with the rasp, 

 that the shoe may bear equally on every part 

 of it. Farriers should never be allowed to da 

 this by means of a hot shoe, which is too fre- 

 quently the case. If any ragged parts are 

 observed in the frog, they are to be carefully 

 removed with a knife ; for, if suffered to re- 



