9H 



Shoeing of Horses. 



[march, 



high or low heels, long toes, dropped soles, or contracted 

 heels. When these points have been noted and due con- 

 sideration has been given them, the preparation of the foot 

 may proceed. With a rasp remove from the ground surface 

 of the wall any superfluous growth of horn, care being taken 

 to lower the wall at the toe. The under surface must then be 

 rasped quite level, and all sharp edges should be removed, as 

 they tend towards splitting of the crust. The foot should 

 then be ready for the application of the shoe. 



Management of Colt's Feet, — Careful attention must be 

 given to the feet of the young colt from the time of foaling 

 to the fitting of the first pair of shoes. The feet should 

 attain a regular and even growth, and should be perfectly 

 matched in pairs. Great importance attaches to the angle 

 at which the feet grow, the proper inclination of which should 

 be simliar to that of the pasterns when standing on level 

 ground. Colts reared on hilly ground are very liable to 

 irregular and uneven growth of feet, and if this defect is 

 neglected the foot and the joints above it become permanently 

 deformed, and the horse is practically ruined. 



To avoid this, regular attention must be paid to the state 

 of the feet week by week, and the rearer should remember 

 to keep the toes at a uniform length and breadth, at the same 

 time letting the heels down with a rasp in order to encourage 

 frog pressure. The first shoes must not be fitted to a young 

 colt until he has been educated to "give" his feet in proper 

 order; a loud, bullying tone must never be used on a young 

 horse, but he should be treated with every indulgence until 

 he learns that he is not to be hurt; any sign of obstinacy 

 must, however, be repressed. 



Shoeing Farm Horses. — Many farm horses, especially 

 those employed on small holdings or allotments, are fre- 

 quently worked both on the land and on the road, and for 

 this purpose a special method of shoeing must be adopted. 

 A horse of this class should be shod every month, regardless 

 of the fact that its shoes may not require renovating. This 

 regular treatment of the foot becomes more essential when 

 the horse is employed solely on soft, retentive land, as this 

 gives rise to a somewhat faster growth, also rendering the 

 feet liable to be misshapen. 



