190 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETERINARY ART. 



main, they migiit atibrd a lodgement for dirt 

 and gravel. Thus do we prepare a foot for 

 the siioe ; and to a foot of this description, I 

 mean one tiiat is sound and perfect, or that 

 has not sudered any material alteration in its 

 form from improper shoeing, the shoe (Fig. 3, 

 Plate 4) is to be applied. 



The toe of the shoe, for a mid die-sized 

 horse, is about an inch in ^width, and half an 

 inch hi depth or thickness ; the heels about 

 half an inch in width, and three eighths in 

 depth. The wearing part of the toe is to be 

 made of steel ; and it may be observed, that 

 the nails are brought very near to the toe, but 

 not quite round it; for when that is done, there 

 must also be a groove made, which conside- 

 rably weakens that part, and almost all horses 

 wear principally at the toe. Both .surfaces of 

 the shoe are perfectly flat; and the heel of 

 the shoe rests upon the junction of the bar and 

 crust, beyond which it should never extend. 



It will be supposed, perhaps, that a shoe 

 which is flat on that surface next the foot will 

 be apt to produce lameness by pressing on the 

 sole : but let it be recollected, that this shoe 

 is recommended onl)' for a soiuid foot, in 

 which the sole is always a little concave ; so 



