PREPARATION OP THE FOOT FOR SHOEING. 
38it 
is the too frequent cause of animals being troublesome to 
shoe. 
When the shoe has been removed, the crust must be 
rasped down in the edges ; and although a little roughness 
may be exercised in this, yet there is little danger of injury 
to the hoof, only that too much must not be removed, so as 
to render it too thin. The hoof requires considerable 
labour to pare, and this is of great importance to the com ¬ 
fort of the animal, as well as his safety on the road. It is 
a part of the operation of shoeing which is too often done 
in a hurried and slovenly manner. The master of the 
horse or his groom ought to see that paring is thoroughly 
performed; because, if the sole is not well pared, its 
elasticity will be destroyed, and thereby prevented from 
descending; and this will impair the functions of the foot, 
and induce all the maladies to which it is liable; namely, 
the navicular disease, contraction, and corns, as well as in¬ 
flammation, and all the maladies of which we have already 
treated. Nothing is of more consequence than to prevent an 
accumulation of the horny substance of the sole, which, it is 
easy to see, must increase, because, being protected by the 
shoe, it cannot get worn down as it would in a natural con¬ 
dition. Sufficient thickness should be left so as to protect 
the internal parts of the foot from injury, and enough to allow 
the external sole to descend. This can easily be determined 
by the strong pressure of the thumb on the sole, which 
should yield slightly in all its breadth. This operation is 
performed by what is termed a drawing-knife. 
It will happen that the horn of the sole becomes so hard 
that it is removed with very great difficulty, in which case 
it becomes necessary to soften it by heat. This is effected 
by means of a flat iron heated, and drawn over the sole, and 
even kept close to it lor a little time. If the sole is thick, 
