1882. i 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
11 
which arc not in a form available for it, but 
which could bo made use of by other crops. 
The Horse Shoe and Its Application. 
Bt D. I). SLADE, 31. D., PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURAL 
ZOc&OGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 
In remarks upon the preparation of the 
horse’s foot for the shoe, I have constantly 
endeavored to impress upon students and 
readers, the importance of the following 
axiom—never suffer the normal structures of 
the foot to undergo any mutilation. At the 
same time, I have insisted upon the necessity 
of bringing the foot to a proper level. Any 
excess of growth at the toe renders the pas¬ 
terns more oblique, and, as a consequence, 
throws undue weight upon the “back sin¬ 
ews,” whereas, too great hight of heels has a 
similar effect upon the joints of the extremi¬ 
ties, by rendering them too upright. Taking 
as our guide the foot of the animal that has 
never been brought to the forge, and which, 
in consequence, must be considered as a cor¬ 
rect model, let the external wall of the hoof 
•be reduced by means of the rasp to a level 
with the firm unpared sole. If there is no 
growth of the external wall beyond this 
level, then there is nothing to be removed. 
In the selection of a shoe for the healthy 
foot, we must bear in mind the object in 
view, which is to protect the parts from ex¬ 
cessive wear. This protection is to be found 
in a metallic rim of proper size and shape, 
securely adjusted. Almost every shoe in 
common use meets this end more or less 
satisfactorily, and I have already remarked 
that the proper preparation of the foot that 
has been previously shod is of vastly more 
importance than the particular kind of shoe 
to be adopted. At the same time, there are 
faults in the shoe most commonly employed, 
which had their origin in its particular adap¬ 
tation to the foot after this had undergone 
more or less severe mutilation at the hands 
of the farrier, and which have been retained 
more through custom, than through actual 
necessity, as we have reason to hope. The 
most prominent of these faults consists in 
extreme narrowness of rim with a concavity 
upon the upper or foot surface, in order to 
prevent the sole from sustaining least weight 
or pressure, which it is perfectly unfitted to 
do after being pared down to a point of sensi¬ 
tiveness. In a state of nature we know that 
every portion of the foot comes to the ground 
and sustains its share of weight, and in the 
shod state, it should do the same as far as 
practicable. Hence, the shoe should be con¬ 
structed with its upper surface perfectly flat, 
and with a breadth sufficient to protect a 
portion of the sole, and to sustain weight. 
It should be bevelled upon the ground sur¬ 
face, in imitation of the concavity of the 
sole, and not upon its upper surface, where 
the space thus formed serves as a lodging 
place for small stones and other foreign 
bodies. In shape it should follow the 
exact outline of the outer wall, being nar¬ 
rowed at the heels, but continued of the same 
thickness throughout. The lateral projection 
at the quarters, and the posterior one at the 
heels are unsightly, of no benefit, and should 
never be allowed where speed is required. 
■ One of the highest authorities says on this 
point:—“ In fitting the shoe to the back part 
of the foot, let the smith take care that it 
is. not longer or wider than the point 
where the crust and bars unite. An eighth 
of an inch may be allowed to project back¬ 
wards beyond this point, but not more, but 
there should not be the slightest overlapping 
sideways.” In fine, the shoe should be accu¬ 
rately fitted to the foot as previously pre¬ 
pared, and not the foot to the shoe. 
The weight of the shoe is a matter of more 
consequence than is generally conceded, and 
this is shown by accurate statistics. It should 
under all circumstances be as light as is con¬ 
sistent with durability. The use of calkins is 
very objectionable, but as yet no other con¬ 
trivances have answered the same purpose as 
well. They should never be employed, how¬ 
ever, except when absolutely required, and 
then they should be of equal length at toe 
and heels, otherwise an unequal strain is 
thrown upon tendons and ligaments, termi¬ 
nating sooner or later in serious injury to the 
extremities. Clips are useful as a means of 
fastening the shoe more securely, and of 
diminishing the number of nails. 
Whether the shoe should be fitted to the 
foot in a hot or cold condition, has called 
forth at times a vast amount of controversy. 
Experience has taught that the momentary 
application of the hot 6hoo can be of no det¬ 
riment to the homy fibers, and that the more 
accurate adjustment thereby attained far 
outweighs any possiblo injury to the parts. 
The number and disposition of the nails 
depend upon the kind of shoe. For speed 
and light draft, from five to seven may be 
employed, while for heavy horses and for 
heavy draft the number may be increased. 
Where few nails are used they should be 
more widely distributed than is usually the 
custom. When it is remembered that the 
introduction of every nail is so much injury 
to the structures of the foot, it will readily 
be seen that the smaller tho number requisite 
for the purpose the better for tho animal. In 
driving the nails, it is essential that a thick 
short hold of the crust should be had, rather 
than a long thin one. Not only is the shoe 
thus held more firmly, but there is a proba¬ 
bility that the nail holes may, by the down¬ 
ward growth of the horn, be removed at the 
next shoeing, which in most cases should not 
exceed an interval of four or five weeks. 
The points of the nails should be shortened 
to just that length which will permit them 
to be turned over and hammered down 
smoothly, with perhaps the least possible 
rasping. The common method of rasping 
notches for the extremities of the nails is not 
advisable. In fact, as I have already said, 
the rasp should never be used upon the ex¬ 
ternal walls of the hoof except in cases of 
absolutely necessity to prevent striking of 
the opposite limb. Its use destroys the 
natural polish, exposes parts beneath which 
are not fitted for such exposure, and 
renders the horn brittle, and liable at any 
moment to quarter cracks and other maladies. 
There are various forms of 6hoe adapted to 
abnormal conditions of the foot. Of these I 
will refer only to the Bar-shoe, as being ex¬ 
tremely useful where dressings are to be re¬ 
tained upon the sole, as in the case of wounds 
or pricks, or where it is desirable to give 
strength to weak or injured heels, or to bring 
more direct pressure upon tho frog. 
The general management of the foot calls 
for a few words. The hoof should be washed 
daily in cold water by means of a sponge, and 
care taken to remove any foreign bodies 
which may have insinuated themselves be¬ 
neath the shoe or into the clefts of sole or 
frog. No oil or blacking can supply the place 
of the beautiful natural polish of tho un¬ 
rasped crust, and no “stopping” of clay, 
corroding, or other mixture, can serve as a 
substitute for the unpared sole. Let v.o false 
notions of economy induce the employment 
of the smith whose only or chief recom¬ 
mendation is that his shoes remain secure 
upon the foot longer than those of his com¬ 
petitor. Let the shoes be removed, as a gen¬ 
eral rule every month, the foot brought by 
the rasp to the natural level, no paring of the 
sole or frog, no rasping of the crust, or open¬ 
ing up the heels allowed; a well fitting shoo 
adjusted as I have laid down, and the healthy 
foot will be preserved in a sound condition, 
and one already suffering from mismanage¬ 
ment, will have the best chances for recovery. 
A Feed Coop for Chickens. 
Mr. W. A. Hister, Clark Co., Ind., sends a 
brief description, with sketches, of a pen in 
which to feed small chickens. It consists of 
8 horizontal cross-pieces or “nailers,” and 50 
palings or pickets. The end cross-pieces are 
4 feet long, and those at the sides 7 feet, and 
are made of strips of boards 3 inches wide 
and 1 inch thick. Tho pickets are of thin 
oak, and were taken from an old fence. 
Two cleats are tacked 
pieces, one on one side 
of the end, and the 
other on the opposite 
side, 2 l / 3 inches from 
the end. The cleats 
are 1 inch square, and 
extend 3 inches down¬ 
ward on the short 
cross-pieces, and the 
same distance upward 
on the long ones. The 
pickets are laid on the 
short cross-pieces so 
that the latter are 30 
inches apart, and the 
lower 12 inches from 
tho ground ; the long 
cross- pieces are tho 
same distance apart, 
but the lower is 9 inches from the ground. 
A door may be made in one side, and so .ar¬ 
ranged as to fasten with a button, and can be 
easily lifted off when desired.—Tho feed-coop, 
as completed, is shown in figure 1, and tho 
method of arranging the cleats upon the ends 
of the gross-pieces may be seen in figure 2. 
on each of the cross- 
Fig. 2. —ARRANGEMENT 
OF THE CORNERS. 
