THE SHOE. 



743 



The outer hind heels may have low calkins, and the inner ones 

 be thickened for ordinary hacks and trappers. I think, that, as a 

 rule, such horses go safer, sounder, longer and faster, when their 

 frogs are allowed to come on or near the ground, than when the 

 ends of the shoes are turned down. If, however, calkins have to 

 be employed, they should be made not more than a third of an 

 inch in height, and the horn at the heels should be proportionately 

 reduced. Calkins on the outer hind heels of the shoes of a 'cross- 

 country horse, are often of great assistance to him in preventing 

 him from slipping when jumping. Heavy draught horses not 



Fig. 198. — Sidebones particularly well developed at the quarters. 



required to go out of a walk, may have calkins on the inner and 

 outer heels, both before and behind ; though whatever contrivance 

 is adopted, care should be taken that the natural slope of the foot 

 is maintained. Hence, it is generally advisable with them, to 

 apply at the same time, " toe-pieces," which will give greatly 

 increased power, and will also allow the foot to preserve its natural 

 slope. To obtain the advantages derived from the employment 

 of calkins and " toe-pieces," the benefit of frog-pressure is 

 necessarily lost. 



If the shoe is not already bevelled, the inside edge of the ground- 

 surface of the hind shoes at the toes should be rounded off, so that 

 the horse may injure himself, as little as possible, in case he 

 happens to over-reach. Hind shoes of 'cross-country horses 



