AN ESSAY ON SHOEING. 
251 
and doubtful cases, as to the precise seat of pain and lameness. 
Our patient being dumb, where is the experienced practitioner 
who has not occasionally felt this embarrassment? 
Another great principle of shoeing is frog pressure ; that never- 
ending bone of contention ! 
My experience has at length convinced me that a good sound 
frog can bear almost any amount of pressure, when habituated to 
it, at its base or posterior part — that portion which is placed be- 
hind the coffin and navicular bones; while, on the other hand, I 
have frequently found only moderate pressure upon the apex or 
toe of the frog a fruitful source of lameness when no suspicion 
before has ever attached itself to that part. 
These observations apply more particularly to a peculiar con- 
formation of foot with which we are all familiar, where the point 
of the frog appears to dip at the ground surface, or unnaturally 
project. 
Points of support of the ground surf ace of the shoe. — Upon this 
division of the shoeing art I am impressed with strong feelings of 
gratitude being due to practitioners on the continent, more parti- 
cularly the French. I allude to the mcurvated toe of the shoe , 
and I consider the sloping of the ground surface of the heels 
quite as much called for to facilitate the natural rotating motion 
of the foot, and more especially to screen the points of the heels 
from concussion upon unyielding surfaces at a rapid pace. Also, 
when the horse is in a standing posture, he enjoys a firm level 
basis of support upon the centre of his foot, while daylight can 
be seen between the toe and the ground, and between the points 
of the heels and the ground. The slope or bevel of the inner 
heel may be more lengthy than the outer, and thereby, in con- 
junction with side nailing, corns will be prevented, or, if in exist- 
ence, they will gradually disappear. 
The sloped heels have the further advantage of favouring the 
due amount of frog pressure at its base, while the extra substance 
of the nailed rim of the shoe has a tendency to preserve the apex 
or point of the frog from undue pressure. The tapering off of the 
heels is considered indispensable to every hunter’s fore shoe, for 
the avoidance of the overreach of the hind foot. With a sound 
foot, the outside heel of the shoe needs not project in any degree 
beyond the hoof where the crust and bar form a junction; and 
the inner heel may safely terminate a trifle short of the extreme 
point of the heel. Nicety of execution is required here on the 
part of the fireman , as the shorter the heel the less the leverage, 
and, therefore, the greater security of the shoe from suction in 
deep ground. I take occasion to repeat my firm conviction that 
