100 THE MULE. 



off the shoe. This renders that very ingenious foot 

 destroyer, the toe-clip, unnecessary. Then, in punching 

 the shoe, hold the top of the pritchell toward the heel 

 of the shoe, so as to get the hole in the shoe on an 

 angle with the grain of the hoof Punch the holes large 

 enough, so that the nails will not bind in the shoe, nor 

 require unnecessary hammering or bruising of the foot 

 to get them up to their proper place. Prepare the nails 

 well, point them thin and narrow ; and, as I have said 

 before, use as small a nail as possible. 



When you proceed to nail on the shoe, take a slight 

 hold at the bottom, so as to be sure that the nail starts 

 in the wall of the foot instead of the sole. Let it come 

 out as high up as possible. You need not be afraid of 

 pricking with nails set in this way, as the wall of the 

 foot is as thick, until you get within half an inch of the 

 top, as it is where you set the nail. Nails driven in this 

 way injure the feet less, hold on longer, and are stronger 

 than when driven in any other way. If you have any 

 doubt of this, test it in this manner : when you take 

 off an old shoe to set a new one, and cut the clinches 

 (which should be done in all cases), you will find the 

 old nail and the clinches not started up ; and in draw- 

 ing the nail out you will also find the foot not slipped 

 or cracked ; and that the horn binds the nail until it is 

 entirely drawn out. Indeed, I have known the hole to 

 almost close as the nail left it. 



Set the two front nails well towards the toe, so as 

 not to be more than two inches apart when measured 

 across the bottom of the foot. Let the next two divide 

 the distance from that to the heel, so as to leave from 



