392 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
quick; and often cutting it so thin that it will not hold the 
nails firmly, besides rendering the unprotected part of the 
foot liable to be punctured, and exposing the sole to pres¬ 
sure which may occasion lameness, and that too of a per¬ 
manent character. 
A properly constructed shoe should have the web of equal 
thickness from toe to heel. When thinner at the heel than 
the toe, it permits the heel to sink too much, which has a 
tendency to induce sprain of the flexor tendon ; and when 
the shoe is thicker at the back than the front, it elevates 
the frog too much, is sure to promote disease, and will impair 
its function, and is certain to bruise the toe, which from its 
naturally exposed position is more liable to injury than 
other parts. 
Every possessor of a horse should be well acquainted 
with the different kinds of shoes now in general use, and 
have such a knowledge of the varied form of hoofs as to 
enable him to judge the particular kind best adapted to the 
shape of the foot of his own horse. Country smiths pay too 
little attention to this point, and with a predilection for one 
form, apply it to whatever shaped hoof they may meet with. 
In a state of nature the hoof of a horse is admirably 
adapted to give security to its steps; but when the foot is 
shod, the weight and bearings of the whole limb, or, more 
strictly speaking, of the entire animal, are changed. It 
therefore becomes a matter of much importance to investi¬ 
gate what form of shoe is best calculated for this altered 
condition, and which will produce the least mischief to the 
feet; for the best of shoeing must ever continue to be a 
source of diseases and inconvenience to the horse. And 
any one who strictly investigates the structure of the foot, 
with its numerous modifications of shape, will soon perceive 
that no universal form will be suitable for all feet. 
