806 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



up at the toe, so as to imitate as nearly as possible the wear 

 •which occurs at the toe of the unshod foot. Most animals 

 working over stony ground require a shoe wider in the 

 ' web ' than those working on a level and good surface. 

 Finally, shoes made so that the web narrows at the heels 

 are a most prolific cause of corn, and should never be used. 



Many horses which go ' feelingly ' on macadam or other 

 hard roads, have their action improved by wearing a 

 heavier shoe than they need ordinarily carry. Light 

 shoes, like tips, admirably suited for working off roads or 

 on soft ground, soon cause a horse to lose his action if he 

 is worked over a metalled or other hard surface. 



No special mention has been made of hind shoes. The 

 care in fitting and the care of the feet is the same as in the 

 fore feet. 



Frost Shoeing. — There are various methods employed in 

 ' roughing ' horses to enable them to move during frost, the 

 most common being drawing out the heels of the shoe in the 

 fire and turning them up. This rough-and-ready method is 

 destructive to the feet, and frequently leads to accidents, 

 owing to the haste which occurs where a large number of 

 horses have to be ' roughed.' As a rule the turning up of 

 the heels, as it is termed, is generally sufficient for the short 

 frosts experienced in this country, but during a prolonged 

 frost the method is unsuitable, as the process cannot be 

 repeated without seriously shortening the shoe. 



A simple and, with care, good method is the use of frost 

 nails, which are placed in the heels of the shoes in a hole 

 previously stamped in anticipation at the last shoeing. 

 The shoe is fitted sufficiently wide at the heels to allow the 

 nail to come out, and it is then turned under the shoe for 

 safety, or cut off within a quarter of an inch of where it 

 makes its exit, and the short clench then hammered down. 

 This method possesses very many advantages, as no skilled 

 labour is required, but it also has its weak points. The 

 holes must be stamped in the shoe of the exact size, or the 

 nail ' wobbles ' and gets drawn out ; the system is of no use 

 in a shoe worn at the heels, as it does not afford sufficient 



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