HORSESHOEING. 



599 



and its branches far enough from the branches of the frog to permit 

 the passage of a foot pick. Branches of the shoe must be of equal 

 length. 



In fitting a shoe to a hoof of regular form we follow the form of 

 the hoof, but in base-wide and 

 base-narrow hoofs, which are 

 of irregular form, we must pay 

 attention not onlj^ to the form 

 of the hoof but also to the di- 

 rection of the pasterns and 

 the consequent distribution of 

 weight in the hoof, because 

 where the most weight falls the 

 surface of support of the foot 

 must be widened, and where the 

 least weight falls (opposite 

 side of the hoof) the surface of 

 suppoi't should be narrowed. 

 In this way the improper dis- 

 tribution of weight within the 

 hoof is evenly distributed over 

 the surface of support. 



^1 shoe for a base- wide hoof 

 should be fitted full on the in- 

 ner side of the foot and fitted 

 close on the outer side, because 

 the inner side bears the most 

 weight. The nails in the outer branch are placed well back, but in 

 the inner branch are crowded forward toward the toe. 



Fig. 7. — Left fore hoof of regular form, 

 shod with a plain " fullered " shoe. Note 

 the distribution of the nails, length of 

 the fuller (ci-uase), and the closeness of 

 the ends of the shoe to the branches of 

 the frog. 



Fig. 8. — Side view of hoot and shoe shown in fig. 7. Note the straight toe, weak ring 

 formation running parallel to the coronet, clinches low down and on a leTcl, length of 

 the shoe, and the under-bevel at the toe and heel. 



A shoe for a hase-narroiv hoof should be just the reverse of the 

 preceding. The outer branch should be somewhat longer than the 

 inner. 



