SHOEING. 



high, it is better to lower them moderately with a rafp, than 

 to wear tliem down with a fhort (hoe, as the wet may caufe 

 more horn to be deftroyed than is neceilary to be removed ; 

 but it cannot be too often repeated, that the fole between the 

 bars and crult Ihould be taken out before the heels are cut. 

 If tlie heels are firll removed, then poffibly the horn left 

 will be infufficient to afford a proper degree of concavity be- 

 tween the bars and crult. Where very high-heeled (hoes 

 have been worn, the frog would be liable to injury, as well 

 as the mufclcs and tendons that bend the leg, from the fud- 

 den application of a (hoc made thin at the heels. Indeed, 

 whether the (hoc or hoof be the caufe that elevates the frog, 

 the attention is required to bring it gradually intocontafl with 

 the ground. We therefore thin the heel of the ihoe by de- 

 grees, that the frog may become accuftomed to hard prellure. 

 The thicknefs of the laft (hoe at the heel will always furnilh 

 a proper criterion for that to be next applied. If only a 

 fmall portion of the hoof can be taken from the toe, the heel 

 of the new (lioe (hould be about one-tenth of an inch thmner 

 than the (hoe removed ; and the growth of the crull will ge- 

 nerally be equal to this diminution of iron. By reducing the 

 heels of the flioe in the fame proportion as the hoof grows, 

 a thin-heeled (hoe may, in a few months, be employed ; and 

 yet the horn being preferved at the heels, and cut at the toe, 

 every time of (hoeing, the heels (fhoe and hoof together) 

 will be as high, and frequently higher, than when the former 

 thick-heeled (lioes were employed. The cruit that defcends 

 at the heels we allow to remain ; but fubtraft an equal quan- 

 tity of iron from the heels of the (hoe, and as much horn as 

 polTible from the toe of the hoof. This lyftem fhould be 

 continued till the heels of the (hoe are about one-fhird the 

 thicknefs of the toe. In proportion as the cruft from the 

 coronet to the toe increafes, and the heels decreafe in depth, 

 the back fiiiews and mufcles will be put on the ilrctch. 

 And the converfe of this mud be equally true, that as the 

 heels are high and the toe (hort, the mufcles and linews are 

 relieved. It therefore follows, that every atom of horn or 

 iron taken from the toe of the crull, or (hoe, tends to relax 

 the parts behind, and that the removal of horn or iron from 

 the heels produces the oppofite efTeft. If thefe fimple fads 

 are kept in view, there can be no difficulty in afcertaiiiinij the 

 quantity of iron that may be removed with fafety from the 

 heels of any (hoe, without danger of mifchief to the 

 mufcles and tendons. 



But in the (hoeing of horfes that are liable to cut, the fol- 

 lowing ufeful directions have been given by Mr. Moorcroft. 

 It is contended, that in order to prevent a horie from Itriking 

 the foot or (hoe againll the oppofite leg, by which it is often 

 bruifed or wounded, is an important point ; inafmuch as this 

 accident occurs very frequently, and it not only blemilhes 

 and disfigures the leg, but alfo endangers the fafety of the 

 rider. The parts (truck in the hind-leg, are the infide of 

 the fetlock-joint, and the coronet ; in the fore leg, the infide 

 of the fetlock-joint, and immediately uiider the knee ; 

 which latter is called \.\ie fpeedy cut, from if: happening only 

 when a horfe goes fall. Young horfes, when firll backed, 

 generally cut their fore-legs, although naturally they may 

 be good goers. This arifes from their placing the foot on 

 the ground too much under the middle of the breaft, in 

 order the better to fuppi.rt the burthen to which they are nn- 

 accultomed; but by degrees they acquire the method of ba- 

 lancing the wt ight, with the foot in the fame direftion it 

 would naturally have were they without it. It may, there- 

 fore, he thinks, be laid down as a gener:d rule with fiich 

 horfes, that, till they regain their natural method of goin^, 

 the edge of the inner quarter of the (lioe (hould follow 

 exadly the outline of the crud, but ihould not be fet 



within the cruft, nor (hould the cruft itfelf be reduced in 

 thicknefs ; as both thefe pradices tend to weaken the inner 

 quarter, and to deform the hoof. And here it mull be ob- 

 ferved, that the outer edge of the fhoe fhould, in all cafes of 

 found feet, follow exaftly the outer edge of the cruft, ex- 

 cept juft at the heel, where it fhould projeft a little beyond 

 the line of the hoof. Alfo, that horfes with narrow chefts, 

 having their legs placed near together, are apt to cut when 

 they begin to tire ; and with thefe the pradice jufl mentioned 

 fhould always be employed. Horfes that turn their toes 

 much outwards are, of all others, ipoft fubjed to cut. But 

 in reply to the affertions of fome, that th:s accident alfo hap- 

 pens to f uch horfes as turn the toes much inwards, he denies 

 having met with a flngle inltance of the kind. In horfes of 

 the firll defcription, it has been long obferved, that the inner 

 quarters of the hoof were lower than the outer, and that 

 the fetlock-joints were nearer each other than in horfes whofe 

 feet pointed llraight forwards. Thefe two fads probably 

 led to a conclnfion, that if the inner quarters were raifed to 

 a level with the outer, and fo much the more as they were 

 made proportionably higher, that the fetlock-joints would 

 be thrown farther apart, fo as to admit of the foot paflJng 

 by the fupportinglegwithout Itrikingthejoint. Accord.ngly, 

 for the two laft centuries, at leaft, it has been ufual to make 

 the inner quarter of the fhoe higher than the outer ; and not 

 only has this been the general pradice, but it has been re. 

 gularly recommended by almoll every writer from that time 

 to the prefeiit. Afid notwithftanding this method has very 

 frequently failed of luccefs, yet repeated difappoinl.ncnt ap- 

 pears never to have led to the circum.ltance of queftioning 

 the truth of the principle. Nay, indeed, the reliance placed 

 upon it has been fo (Irong, probably from the fir plicity 

 of the reafoniiig on which it was founded, that in the cafes 

 where it molt particularly difappointed expedatioi., its failure 

 was generally attributed to the pradice not being carried 

 fufiiciei.tly far; and accordingly the fhoe has been (till more 

 raifed on the inner quarter, and the edges of the crull and 

 fhoe have been filed au ay. When thefe expedients likewife 

 failed, the lad refource hasb=en, a circular piece of leather 

 placed round the joint to receive he blow of the foot. 



It is noticed, that about four years ago, a (hoe, with the 

 outer quarter thick and the inner one thin, was applied in a 

 cafe which had baffled many attempts on the old plan. On 

 the firft trial the horfe ceafcd to cut, nor has he ever done it 

 fince ; which can only be attributed to his having conltantly 

 worn the fame kind of fhoe. And other bad cafes, which 

 have occurred occafionally fince that period, have been 

 treated in the fame way, and with the fame fuccefs, although 

 for a long tim.e he was at a lofs how to explain them. If 

 the adion of cutting principally depends on the faulty pofi- 

 tion of the fetlock-joints, and of the feet with refped to 

 each other, and it feems generally agreed that fuch is the 

 fad, it fhould feem. that a means which, by raifing the outer 

 quarters, m.ull throw the fetlock-joints ft ill nearer to each 

 other, would necefTarily iiicreafethe defed in queftion ; but 

 as the reverfe of this adually takes place, it might induce a 

 fuipicion that there exills (ome other caufe of cutting which 

 has been hitherto overlooked. For hjrfes which cut their 

 hind-legs, thi (lioe, at the outer heel, (hould be from half 

 an inch to an inch in thick!ie('s, according to the kind of 

 horfe, and to the decree in which he may cut. The web of 

 the fhoe fhould gradually become thinner till it reaches the 

 toe, which (h nild be of the ordinary thicknefs, and from 

 which it (hould flope off, and end like a tip in the middle of 

 the inner quarter. For horfes which cut only in a flight de- 

 gree, a fhoe of the fame thicknefs throughout, but reaching 

 on the inner quarter only as far as the middle of the foot, 



will 



