HORSESHOEING. 83 



quiet, trustworthy man hold them by the bridle-reins and 

 attempt by gentle words and soft caresses to win their attention 

 and confidence. 



Ticklish horses must be taken hold of boldly, for light touches 

 of the hand are to such animals much more unpleasant than 

 energetic, rough handling. Many tickhsh horses allow their feet 

 to be raised when they are grasped suddenly without any pre- 

 paratory movements. 



O. Removing the Old Shoes. 



If a horse's hoofs are healthy, all the shoes may be taken off 

 at the same time, but there are certain diseases of the hoof in 

 which this should not be done. 



The rule to follow in removing every shoe is to draw it cau- 

 tiously, not wrench it away with violence. Hoofs which are 

 dirty should first be cleansed, preferably with a stiff brush. 

 Next, the clinches should be carefully hfted by means of a rather 

 dull clinch cutter mthout injuring the horn of the wall. In order, 

 now, that the nails may be removed singly, the shoe must be 

 slightly lifted. This may be done in one of two ways. The 

 shoer may use a pair of pincers with broad bills which will 

 encompass the branch of the shoe and come well together 

 underneath it. The handles of the pincers are then moved in 

 the direction of the branches of the shoe. The second method 

 consists in raising the branches of the shoe by driving the nail- 

 cutter from behind between the shoe and hoof and using it as a 

 lever or pry to loosen the shoe. 



Violent and excessive twisting of the hoof and straining of 

 ligaments may easily occur, but the smith should guard against 

 them by supporting the hoof with the left hand or with the leg 

 just above the knee, while loosening the shoe. 



D. Preparing the Hoof for the Shoe. 



This preparation is usually termed paring, trimming, or dress- 

 ing. It is a most important step in the process of shoeing, and 



