HORSESHOEING. 



91 



G-eneral Properties. 1. Form. — A form corresponding to the 

 shape of the hoof is indispensable in every slioe. Front and 

 hind and right and left shoes should be sharply defined and easily 

 distinguishable. Front shoes must, above all else, be round at 



Fig. 81. 



Fig. 82. 



Eight front shoe, ground-surface. 



Eight front shoe, hoof-surface : u, hearing-sur- 

 face ; b, concaving, or "seating.' 



the toe. Hind shoes, on the contrary, should be pointed at the toe, 

 yet not too much so, but as in Fig. 86. 



2. Width.— All shoes should be wider webbed (more covered) 

 at the toe than at the ends of the branches. The medium width 

 should be about twice the thickness of the wall. 



3. Thickness.— Each shoe should, in general terms, be so 

 thick that it need not be renewed under four weeks. Lungwitz 

 found that the average required thickness is about seven-six- 

 teenths of an inch. Of course, this thickness must be dimin- 

 ished or increased according to the rapidity of wear of the shoe. 

 Shoes without calks should be of uniform thickness, unless there 

 are special reasons for making them otherwise. 



4. Length.— For draught-horses they should be long enough 

 to reach the bulbs of the heel, though in other respects they 

 may differ (see " special properties"), but should in all cases 

 completely cover the bearing-surface of the hoof. 



