THE MULE. 105 



tliis important brace. It is as necessary to the heel of 

 the animal, to guard him against lateral motion, on 

 which the whole of the above structure depends, as the 

 toes are to tlie human being. Curve the outside of the 

 shoe nearly to fit the foot, and you will find the inside 

 heel a little slraighter, especially if the animal be nar- 

 row-breasted, and the feet stand close together. Nature 

 has provided this safeguard to prevent its striking the 

 opposite leg. After the shoe is prepared to fit the foot, 

 as I have before described, rasp the bottom level — it 

 will be found nearly so. Do not put a knife to the sole 

 or the frog. The sole of the foot, remember, is its life, 

 and the frog its defender. In punching the shoe, two 

 nail-holes on a side, on a foot like this, are sufficient to 

 hold on a shoe. Three may be used, if set in their 

 proper places, without injury to the foot. Practice will 

 teach you that any more nailing than this is unneces- 

 sary. I have used two nails on a side on an animal 

 with not the best of a foot, and very high action, and he 

 has worn them entirely out without throwing either of 

 them off. Previous to punching the shoe, observe the 

 grain of the foot. It will be seen that the fibres of the 

 hoof run from the top of the foot, or coronary border, 

 towards the toe, in most feet, at an angle of about 

 forty-five degrees. It will be plain, then, that if the 

 nails are driven with the grain of the horn, they will 

 drive much easier, and hold better, and be less liable 

 to cut and crack the fibers. 



Another benefit can be derived from this process of 

 nailing. When the foot comes to the ground, the nails 

 act as a brace to keep the foot from slipping forward 



