SECT. VIII. The Shoeing of Horses.

b

624

5925. The importance of the subject of shoeing to the agriculturist is sufficiently attested by the immense number of inventions which the ingenuity of philosophers and artists are every day devising, to render the system complete. Almost every veterinary professor has his favorite shoe; and we find one of the most ingenious of the present day endeavoring to force on our notice, and introduce into our stables the French method; which, with the exception of the mode of nailing on, White observes, is the very worst he ever saw. The French shoe (fig. 624 a) has a wide web towards the toe, and is concave above, and convex below (6), on the ground surface, by which neither the toe nor heel touch the ground (c); but the horse stands pretty much in the same way with an unhappy cat, shod by unlucky boys with walnut shells. But as Blaine observes, in reference to these inventions, "No one form of foot defence can be offered as an universal pattern." It is, he continues, plain that the principles of shoeing ought to be those that allow as little departure from nature as circumstances will justify. The practice also should be strictly consonant to the principles; and both ought to consist, first, in removing no parts but those which, if the bare hoof were applied to natural ground, would remove of themselves. Secondly, in bringing such parts in contact with the ground (generally speaking) as are opposed to it in an unshod state; and above all, to endeavor to preserve the original form of the foot, by framing the shoe thereto; but never to alter the foot to the defence. The shoe at present made at the forges of the most respectable smiths in the cities and large towns throughout the kingdom, if it have not all the requisites, is, however, so much improved on, that with some alterations, not difficult either to direct or adopt, is the one we shall hold up as the most eligible for general shoeing. It is not that a better might not be offered to the notice; and in fact such a one we shall present to our readers; but so averse are the generality of smiths to have any improvements forced on them, and so obstinately determined are they to adhere to the forms handed down to them by their forefathers, that their stupidity or malevolence, or both, frequently makes the improvement itself, when seemingly acquiesced in, a source of irreparable injury. It is for these reasons we would recommend to agriculturists in general, a modified shoe of the common stamp.

625

5926. The improved shoe for general use (fig. 625.), is rather wider than what is usually made. Its nail holes (a) extend no further towards the heels than is actually necessary for security; by which the expansion of these parts is encouraged, and contraction is avoided. To strengthen the attachment, and to make up for this liberty given to the heels, the nails should be carried around the front of the shoe (c). The nail holes, on the under or ground surface of the shoe (a), are usually formed in a gutter, technically called the fullering; but in the case of heavy treading powerful horses, this gutter may be omitted, or if adopted, the shoe in that part may be steeled. The web, should be quite even on the foot or hoof surface (b), and not only be rather wider, but it should also have rather more substance than is common: from half an

inch to five eighths in thickness, according to circumstance, forms a fair proportion; when it is less it is apt, in wearing, to bend to pressure and force out the clinches. A great error is committed in setting shoes out so much wider than the heels themselves: this error has been devised to correct another, which has been that of letting horses go too long without shoeing; in which case, if the heels of the shoe were not too wide originally, as the foot grew, they became lost within the heels; and thus bruised and produced corns: but as we will suppose that few will wish to enter into a certain error to avoid an uncertain one, so we recommend that the heels of the shoe should stand only wide enough to prevent the expansion of the quarters pushing the heels of the feet over the outer edge of the heels of the shoe for which purpose if the iron project rather less than a quarter of an inch, instead of three-eighths, or even half an inch, as it frequently does, many advantages will be gained. Whoever attentively examines a shoe well set off at the heels, as it is termed, will find only one third of its flat surface protecting the heels; the remainder projects beyond, and serves but to form a shelf to lodge dirt on; or as a convenient clip for another horse to tread on; or for the wearer to cut his own legs with; or to afford a more ready hold for the suction of clayey

grounds to force off the shoe by. The heels of the common shoe are likewise not in general sufficiently long for the protection of the foot; and which defect, more than a want of width, causes the tendency to press on the crust of the heels. It is further to be observed, that if the decreased width of the outer standing of the heels, and the increased width of the web, should make the inner angle of the shoe heel in danger of interfering with the frog, the corner may be taken off. In forging this shoe, it may be bevelled, or left plane on both surfaces, or rather nearly so, for it is usual with most smiths to thin it in some degree towards the inner edge. This shoe is applicable to most feet, is easily formed, and as such, in country places is all that can be expected.

5927. The injurious effects of bad shoeing would only require to be known to excite every endeavor to obviate them; and there are some circumstances in the more common shoes of country smiths, that ought to be impressed on the mind of every agriculturist, and guarded against by every one who possesses a horse. It is too frequently observed that the ground side of their shoe is convex, and that the inward rim, when the foot is on the ground, is the lowest part; on which it is evident the weight must first press; and by which pressure, the crust will be forcibly thrust on the extreme edge of the shoe; and the only resistance offered to its being forced from it, depends on the nails and clinches, instead of its just application to the ground, and the support derived from the uniform pressure of the whole. Every shoe should therefore be perfectly level on its ground surface: nor should any shoe be put on that has not been tried on a plane iron purposely made for such trial; which irons are kept in some smithies, but are absent from too many. The substance of the shoe should be the same throughout, forming two parallel lines of upper and under surface; in plain language, the heels, instead of being clubbed as is too frequent, should be the exact thickness of the toe. Neither should the width at the heels diminish in the proportion it usually does; on the contrary, for a perfectly formed foot, the web should present an uniform width throughout.

5928. Varieties in form of foot, differences in size, weight, and uses of horses, will necessarily make deviations in the form and substance of shoes. The very shoe recommended may be considered as a variation from what would be immediately necessary, were the feet generally perfect; but it is to be considered that there are but very few feet but what have undergone some unfavorable alteration in their form, which makes them very sensible to concussion. It is for this reason, therefore, that it is recommended, that a shoe be used, for general purposes, somewhat wider and thicker than the common one. In weak, tender, flexible feet, it will be found particularly advantageous; and here the benefit of wide heels to the shoe will be most apparent. Good as the roads now are, yet most horses are occasionally subjected to travel on bad ones; some know no other to these the addition of one, or at the most, two ounces to each shoe is nothing; but the ease to the horse, and its superior covering, as well as support, is incalculable. In very young, very light, and very firm feet, the width and substance may be somewhat diminished at pleasure, and particularly in situations where the roads are uniformly good; but a very long and extensive experience has assured us, that the shoe portrayed, is one well calculated to meet the ordinary purposes of travelling, and the present state of the art of horse shoeing.

α

626

5929. An improved shoe on the present plan (fig 626.), would be found to unite all the perfections of the modern English improvements, with some derived from our neighbors the French. What has since been called a seated shoe was introduced by Osmer; but from the obstinacy and ignorance of smiths, as it could not be brought into general use, it became little thought of, until revived by Clark of Edinburgh; by whom it was patronized and recommended. It finally was taken up by Moorcroft, and has ever since attracted some attention, and continues to be forged in some shops where the work is superiorly done; and where the employers have liberality enough to pay for such work, and judgment enough to discriminate between its advantages and those of the common shoe. If to this shoe were added the French mode of fastening it to the foot, we think the improvement would almost shut out all others. On examining the figure it will be seen that this shoe presents a flat surface opposed to the ground (a), but a concave one towards the sole (b); but that this concavity does not begin, as in some seated shoes near the outer edge, but embraces two thirds only of the web, leaving by this means a sufficient surface for the crust but this bevelling is not intended to reach the heels; it stops short of them (c), leaving the web at this part plane for the heels to rest upon. The

great advantages of this seating are, first, that as the crust rests on a flat surface instead of an inclined plane, as most of the common forged shoes present, so its position is maintained entire, and the inclination to contraction is in a great degree avoided. The nailing on of this shoe we would recommend to be after the French method, which consists in conical nail holes, punched with a square countersink (d), into which are received conical nails (e), which exactly fill up the countersink; by which means so long as any part of the base of the nail remains, the shoe must be held firmly on, and which is not the only advantage gained; for the nail holes being obliquely formed, and at some distance from the outer rim, act less detrimentally on the crust of the foot.

5930. To prepare the foot for the application of the shoe is also an important consideration. Avoid taking off more than one shoe at a time; otherwise the edges of the crust become broken away. Observe that the clinches are all carefully removed. Let the rough edges of the crust be rasped away; after which, the sole should be pared throughout until a strong pressure with the thumb can produce some yielding: too strong a sole tends to heat and contraction, too weak a one will not require paring. In this paring imitate the natural arch of the sole as much as possible. The line of concavity should not begin, as it usually is made to do, from the extreme margin of the foot, but should begin from the inner line of the crust only; by which means the crust, or outer wall of the hoof, will have a firm bearing on the flat surface of the shoe. Let no heated shoe be applied to correct the inequalities that may be left, unless it is for a moment, only to observe, but not burn them; but still more carefully avoid putting a plane shoe on an uneven foot. The portion of sole between the bars and quarters (fig. 622 d) should be always pared out as the surest preventive against corns. heels also should be reduced to the general level of the foot, never allowing their hardness to serve as an excuse for being left; neither suffer the inner heel to be lowered more than the outer. After all the rest has been done, the frog should be so trimmed as to remain on an exact level with the returns of the heels, and no more. The custom of taking away the point or angle of the horny inflexions of the heels, under the false term of opening the heels, is to be carefully avoided. Let all these operations be performed with a drawing knife. The butteris should never be allowed to come near the foot of any horse but the largest and coarsest of the cart breed.

The

5931. The shoes for the hind feet are somewhat different to the fore, being a little squarer at the toe for about an inch; to which squareness the hoof is to be also adapted by rasping it slightly so, avoiding, however, to do it injuriously. By this mode a steady point of bearing is afforded to the hinder feet in the great exertions they are often called upon to make in galloping, leaping, &c. They are, when thus formed, less liable, also, to interfere with the fore shoes by clicking. When horses click or over-reach very much, it is also common to square, or rather to shorten the toes of the hinder shoes; but not to do so by the horn; by which, the hoof meets the middle of the fore shoe instead of the shoe itself; and the unpleasant noise of the stroke or click of one foot against the other is avoided. 627

a

5932. Varieties which necessarily occur in shoeing. The bar shoe (fig. 627.), is the most important variety, and it is to be regretted that so much prejudice prevails against the use of this shoe, which can only arise from its supposed unsightly appearance as betokening unsoundness. As a defence to weak thin feet it is invaluable, as it removes a part of the pressure from the heels and quarters, which can ill bear it, to the frog which can well bear it; but a well formed bar shoe should not have its barred part raised into an edge behind, but such part should be of one uniform thickness throughout the web of the bar, which, instead of being the narrowest, should be the widest part of the shoe. The thickness of the bar should be greater or less (a), so as to be adapted to take only a moderate pressure from the frog. When the frog is altogether ulcerated away by thrush, the bar may be altogether plain; but this form of shoe is still the best for these cases, as it prevents the tender surface from being wounded. In corns this shoe is invaluable, and may then be so made as to lie off the affected part, which is the great desideratum in corns.

5933. The hunting shoe is made lighter than the common one, and it is of consequence, that it is made to sit as flat to the foot as it can safely do without pressing on the sole: by which the great suction in clayey grounds is much lessened. Hunting fore shoes should also be as short at the heels as is consistent with safety to the foot, to avoid the danger of being pulled off by the hinder shoes: nor should the web project at all. It is the custom to turn up the outer heel to prevent slipping; which is done sometimes to both fore and hind feet, and sometimes only to the latter. As this precaution can hardly be avoided in hilly slippery grounds, it should be rendered as little hurtful

as possible by making the tread equal; to which purpose, thicken the inner heel and turn up the outer. This is better than lowering the outer heel to receive the shoe, which still leaves both the tread and foot uneven.

5934. The racing shoe, or plate, is one made as light and slender as will bear the weight of the horse, and the operations of forging, grooving, and punching: to enable it to do which, it ought to be made of the very best Swedish iron. Three, or at most four nails, are sufficient on each side; and to avoid the interfering of the hind with the fore feet, the heels of the fore shoes are made as short as they can safely be. As racers are shod in the stable, the owners should be doubly careful that the plate is an exact fit. Many pairs ought to be brought and tried before any are suffered to be put on, and which is more important than is at first considered.

5935. Grass shoes or tips are very short pieces placed on the toe alone, in horses turned to grass in summer; at which time they are essentially necessary to guard the fore feet, which otherwise become broken away, and irretrievably injured. They should be looked at occasionally to see that they do not indent themselves into the soles.

5936. Frost shoes, (fig. 628 a) have the ends turned up to prevent the foot from sliding; unless the turning up or calkin be hardened, they soon wear level and require to be renewed, to the injury of the foot by such frequent removals. To remedy this, many inventions have been tried; one of the best of these is that of Dr. Moore, in which the frost clip is made distinct and moveable by means of a female screw (b) worked in it, to which a knob or wedge (c), and male screw (d) are adapted; a key (e) being used for fixing or removing it.

5937. High calkins, or turn ups, however objectionable in ge

628

neral shoeing, yet, in precipitous counties, as those of Devonshire, Yorkshire, and of Scotland, &c., are absolutely necessary for their draught horses. It greatly obviates the evils of uneven pressure, if a calkin be also put to the toe; and it would be still better were these calkins steeled, particularly the fore ones.

5938. The shoeing of diseased feet is necessarily very various, and is too often left to the discretion of the smith, by which the evils themselves are greatly aggravated, if he be ignorant. The most prominent alterations for these purposes will be found described under the respective diseases of the feet requiring them.

5939. Horse pattens are in use by some cultivators who occupy soft or mossy soils. Those esteemed the best are constructed of alder or elm, and are fixed to the hoof by means of three links and a staple, through each of which passes a leathern strap that goes twice round the hoof, and is fastened by a buckle. The staple is placed behind the patten, which is ten inches one way, by ten and a half the other. The links are about three inches in length, and rivetted through pieces of hoop iron to prevent the wood from splitting. After numerous trials it has been found that pattens made in this way, answer the purpose better than any other kind. (Farm. Mag.)

SECT. IX. Criteria of the Qualities of Horses for various purposes.

5940. The general criteria of the qualities of a horse are derived from inspection and trial. His outward appearance among judges affords a pretty just criterion of his powers, and a moderate trial usually enables the same judgment to decide on the disposition to exercise such powers,

5941. The criteria of a horse derived from his color have been already noticed. (5629.) As a general principle dark are preferable to light horses, except in the instance of black, which has fewer good horses within its range, particularly in the lighter breeds, than any other. Grey horses are also, in some degree, an exception to the rule; for there are many good greys. Bay and brown are always esteemed colors.

5942. The criteria of action are derived from a due consideration of the form generally, and of the limbs particularly; as well as from seeing the horse perform his paces

in hand.

5943. The criteria of hardihood are derived from the form of the carcase, which should be circular, or barrelled; by which, food is retained, and strength gained, to perform what is required. Such horses are also generally good feeders.

5944. The criteria of spirit, vigor, or mettle, as it is termed, are best derived from trial. It should always be kept in mind, that a hot fiery horse is as objectionable as a horse of good courage is desirable. Hot horses may be known by their disinclination to stand still; by their mettle being raised by the slightest exercise, especially when in Such horses seldom last long, and under accident are impetuous and company. frightened in the extreme. A good couraged horse, on the contrary, moves with readiness as well alone as in company: he carries one ear forward and one backward; is attentive and cheerful, loves to be talked to, and caressed even while on his journey; and