370 The Farmer^s Veterinary Adviser. 



knife and.rasp, excepting tlie line around its margin and 

 lower surface on which the shoe is to rest. This may be 

 pared or rasped, as a rule, until the elastic horn of the 

 sole is reached, and forms, with the lower border of the 

 wall, a continuous smooth bearing surface of a breadth 

 equal to perhaps one and a half times, or twice the thick- 

 ness of the latter. But this only in a perfect foot. One 

 that has a ragged furrow betweeor the sole and waU can- 

 not be treated in this way. Both sides, inner and outer, 

 must be left perfectly uniform in height. The height of ' 

 heel and toe must be determined by the natural form of 

 the foot, excess and deficiency being alike avoided. As a 

 rule paring has to be done mainly or alone at the toe, but 

 in some eases the heels grow excessively as well. While 

 avoiding paring out of the heels and bars as the prolific 

 cause of corns, we must equally avoid the retention of 

 hard flakes of horn in this situation, where, imprisoned 

 by the hoof-wall, the bar and the shoe, they act as foreign 

 bodies and bruise the heel, as would a stone or a mass of 

 hardened clay. That part of the sole which is uncovered 

 by the shoe may have the surface-flakes removed with a 

 blunt instrument, but should never be touched with a 

 knife. The frog need never be touched, though there is 

 no harm in removing ragged hanging shreds and patches. 

 The sharp edges of the hoof-wall should be slightly 

 rounded with a file to prevent splitting. The shoe should 

 be of a weight proportionate to that of the horse and to 

 the work expected of him, and of a breadth of web 

 adapted to the protection demanded by the nature of the 

 sole. Its upper or appHed surface may be perfectly 

 level, unless when an unhealthy convex sole demands that 

 it shall be leveled ofl^ toward its internal border. Its 

 outer border should exactly correspond to the margin of 

 the hoof-wall, without projecting beyond it, or requiring 

 that the wall be cut down to its dimensions. When ap- 

 plied the upper surface should fit accurately at aU points 

 to the hoof. Bad as it is for horn to be seared, it is bet- 



