330 SHOEING HORSES. 



than the nails, driven just outside of the seam, bearing a proper 

 slant to the shape of the hoof. In its expansion the spongy or 

 flexible part of the hoof next to the seam readily yields to the 

 nails, and while the shoe is yet held tight the growth of the 

 foot is not retarded ; but when the clip holds the shoe solid out 

 even with the toe, the bearing of the nails inclines the side 

 walls of the hoof forward with a tendency to contraction of the 

 heels. 



The bearing of the shoe, remember, should be wholly on the 

 wall, not on the sole, and the ground surface of the wall is the 

 only part that should ever be pared. This is the part that, like 

 the human nail, grows and must be cut down every time a 

 horse is shod. Never put a nail back of the widest part of the 

 foot — the quarters — thus leaving the heels free. The walls of 

 the foot should be so trimmed that the frog will lightly touch 

 the ground, but take little or no weight. It is one function of 

 the frog to keep the heels open and healthy ; if it is destroyed 

 by the shoer's knife it allows the heels to contract. 



Never allow the outside of the foot to be robbed by the 

 rasp of its cortical layer of natural varnish, which retains the 

 moisture secreted by the economy; the strong walls become 

 dessicated and weakened and the foot is in a very sorry plight 

 indeed. To some this picture may seem overdrawn, but it is, 

 nevertheless, a matter of daily occurrence. 



My experience and observation has been that no horse that 

 carries a high rate of speed in a race of split heats seldom, if 

 ever, was known to make a successful campaigner shod with 

 short toes and high heels, or the reverse, or both, and encum- 

 bered by hobbles, sideweights, toeweights, heel weights, calks 

 of all kinds, lengths, shapes, and sizes, set on at as many vari- 

 ous angles, or any artificial appliances, which are sure and cer- 

 tain to keep a horse from being a perfect articulator, and a 

 perfect articulator he must be before he is a successful cam- 

 paigner at a high rate of speed. 



The time will undoubtedly come when many of our driving 

 horses, as well as fastest trotters, will be shod with fiber shoes. 



