CHAPTER X 



SHOEING 



IN the first chapter I pointed out that the feet 

 and legs of a horse, as they are the organs 

 of locomotion, are the most important points 

 and the first things to consider in examining him. 

 It will therefore be seen that the matter of shoe- 

 ing is a very important one and every horse owner 

 should thoroughly familiarize himself with its 

 principles. 



The first thing to learn is the structure of the 

 horse's foot. This is best done by first obtaining 

 the fore-foot of a dead horse and leaving it out in 

 the weather till the fleshy parts have decomposed 

 and dried up. Then study it carefully : the thick- 

 ness and form of the walls where the nails are 

 driven, the form of the frog and the cavity which, 

 in life, contained the fleshy part of the foot, can 

 be seen at a glance. This is not only the best but 

 it is the only way in which a clear idea of the sub- 

 ject can be gained; no number of diagrams and no 

 amount of printed explanation can make it quite 

 so plainly understood. The study can be made 

 still more profitable by obtaining the feet of dif- 



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