HORSESHOEING. 133 



holder, or becomes restless. As a rule, the consequences of 

 indirect nailing are first manifested after two or three days, in- 

 frequently from the eighth to the fourteenth day, as inflammation 

 within the hoof and lameness, at which time a careful examina- 

 tion will usually reveal increased warmth of the hoof, pain upon 

 pressure with the hoof-testers and on tapping the hoof lightly, 

 some swelling of the entire foot, increased pulsation of the digi- 

 tal arteries, and unwillingness of the animal to place all or per- 

 haps any of its weight upon the foot. 



Suspicion of nailing should be entertained if the shoeing be 

 recent, the hoof appear too small in relation to the body-weight, 

 the walls have been thinned by rasping or have been broken 

 away, or if the nails have been driven too high or very irregu- 

 larly. 



Causes. — The most common causes are mistakes in shoeing. 

 In the majority of cases the cause is a disregard of the rule that 

 the nails should penetrate the white line (see pages 100 and 106, 

 heavy type). 1, Using badly-punched shoes ; 2, excessive paring 

 and shortening of the hoof ; 3, weakening the lower border of 

 the wall by excessive rasping away of the outside ; 4, mistakes 

 in fitting the shoe, especially applying shoes that are too narrow, 

 letting the toe-clips too deep into the horn, by which the nail- 

 holes near the toe, instead of falling upon the white line, are car- 

 ried back upon the edge of the sole, or using shoes in which the 

 nail-holes are too wide or improperly directed ; 5, using nails 

 that are split, incomplete, badly formed and bevelled, and too 

 large ; 6, starting nails too deep or with the bevel on the outside, 

 or drawing them too tight. As occasional causes may be men- 

 tioned : 7, old nail- stubs in the horn ; 8, walls that are very thin 

 or broken away ; 9, a soft, crumbling wall, which alters the sound 

 and feehng of the nail as it is .driven, and makes it difficult to 

 judge of its course ; 10, restlessness of the animal while being 



shod. 



Examination. — Press vsnth the hoof-testers upon the sole and 

 cHnches ; tap lightly upon the clinches. If these acts cause pain. 



