SIMPLE RULES ON SHOEING. 
397 
all at once they are found to inerease fast_, and espeeially so 
if the part should receive any fresh injury. The disease 
between the rings of the trachea and the transverse tracheal 
muscle might be eonsidered as idiopathic. This is possible^ 
but I certainly incline to the former idea. 
SIMPLE RULES ON SHOEING. 
By W. ErneSj M.R.C.V.S.j London. 
1st. After having taken off the old shoe^ shorten the toe_, 
and remove all the dead and loose parts of the hoof. Do not 
cut the sole or pare the frog, except when the foot has 
received an injury from a nail or otherwise, when it must be 
well cut out. 
2nd. Let the shoe be of equal thickness, or rather thinner 
" at the heel. The ground and foot surface should be perfectly 
level. The shoe should lay light on the heels. Too many 
nails are objectionable, and these should be kept as far as 
possible from the heels. 
/3rd. For the hind feet there is no objection to calkins, 
though they are of doubtful benefit. Horses travel better 
•without them. The hind shoes are made thicker at the toes 
fhan at the quarters; the nails also can be put closer to the 
heels without causing inconvenience. 
4th. Side clips should be avoided; they destroy the hoof. 
The same is the case wFen the nails are too close together. 
The feet should never be rasped, as it destroys the enamel 
of the hoofs, renders them brittle, and causes sandcracks, and 
consequently lameness. 
5th. Expansion is a fatal error, which has led to many 
abuses in shoeing, such as paring of the sole and frog, rasping 
of the hoof, &c. The elasticity of the foot, which is, how¬ 
ever, very limited, exists only on the upper part of the hoof, 
principally round the coronet. On the lower part, and the 
toe it is nil. 
