50 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
foot. He pares the crust as level as lie can, and then he brings the 
shoe to a heat somewhat below a red heat, and applies it to the foot, 
and detects any little elevations by the deeper color of the burned 
horn. This practice has been much inveighed against; but it is the 
abuse, and not the use of the thing which is to be condemned. If the 
shoe is not too hot, nor held too long on the foot, an accuracy of ad- 
justment is thus obtained, which the knife would be long in producing, 
or would not produce at all. If, however, the shoe is made to burn its 
way to its seat, with little or no previous preparation of the foot, the 
heat must be injurious both to the sensible and insensible parts of the 
foot. 
The heels of the shoe should be examined as to their proper width. 
Whatever is the custom of shoeing the horses of dealers, and the too 
prevalent practice in the metropolis of giving the foot an open appear- 
ance, although the posterior part of it is thereby exposed to injury, 
nothing is more certain than that, in the horse destined for road work, 
the heels, and particularly the seat of corn, can scarcely be too well 
covered. Part of the shoe projecting externally can be of no possible 
good, but will prove an occasional source of mischief, and especially in 
a heavy country. A shoe, the web of which projects inward as far as it 
can without touching the frog, affords protection to the angle between 
the bars and the crust. 
Of the manner of attaching the shoe to the foot the owner can 
scarcely be a competent judge ; he can only take care that the shoe 
itself shall not be heavier than the work requires — that, for work a lit- 
tle hard the shoe shall still be light, with a bit of steel welded into the 
toe — that the nails shall be as small, and as few, and as far from the 
heels as may be consistent with the security of the shoe ; and that, for 
light work at least, the shoe shall not be driven on so closely and firm- 
ly as is often done, nor the points of the nails be brought out so high 
up as is generally practiced. 
Calkins.* — There are few cases in which the use of calkins (a turn- 
ing up or elevation of the heel) can be admissible in the fore-feet, ex- 
cept in frosty weather, when it may in some degree prevent unpleasant 
or dangerous slipping. If, however, calkins are used, they should be 
placed on both sides. If the outer heel only is raised with the calkin, 
as is too often the case, the weight cannot be thrown evenly on the foot, 
and undue straining and injury of some part of the foot or of the leg 
must be the necessary consequence. 
Clips. — These are portions of the upper edge of the shoe, hammered 
out, and turned up so as to embrace the lower part of the crust and which 
is usually pared out a little, in order to receive the clip. They are very 
useful, as more securely attaching the shoe to the foot, and relieving 
the crust from that stress upon the nails which would otherwise be in- 
jurious. A clip at the toe is almost necessary in every draught-horse, 
and absolutely so in the horse of heavy draught, in order to prevent 
the shoe from being loosened or torn off by the pressure which is 
thrown upon the toe in the act of drawing. A clip on the outside of 
* Vulgarly “corks.' 
