SHOEING THE SADDLE-HORSE. 7>7 



of unvarying thickness throughout, and having the 

 groove in which the nail-heads are to lie carried 

 from heel-point to heel-point, should be fitted and 

 fastened on with no more than five nails each. The 

 horse will then be properly shod, particularly if the 

 smith be prevented from rasping the hoofs when 

 the nails have been clenched. 



If the toes are so short that the angle made by 

 the front surface of the hoof with the ground is less 

 than that made by the front of the pastern, the 

 shoe must be thickened at the toe and gradually 

 diminished towards the heels. If the angle made 

 by the front surface of the hoof and the ground is 

 greater than that made by the front of the pastern, 

 the hoof at the toe is too long, and, if no horn can 

 safely be taken from the hoof, the shoe should be 

 thicker at the heels until the hoof grows out. 



Where the deformities of turned-out or turned-in 

 toes are very great, they should be very gradually 

 corrected at each shoeing of the horse ; and, in the 

 case of old horses, it is perhaps better to be satisfied 

 with partially curing the defects, going far enough, 

 however, to prevent blows upon the pasterns and 

 insecure treading. If horse-breeders would look 

 after their foals, and make occasional use of the 

 rasp upon their hoofs, we should not often find 

 ' pigeon-toes ' or splay-feet in horses. 



