Page:Horse shoes and horse shoeing.djvu/494

 days with wet bran only, without giving him any oats, keeping him well littered. The reason why you are to draw the heel-nails is, because the feet swell, and if they were not thus eased, the shoes would press and straiten them too much. It is also good to stop them with cowdung, but do not take off the shoes, nor pare the feet, because the humours are drawn down by it.'

There are also frequent allusions to foundering (inflammation of the feet), the changes in the hoofs induced by this disease; as well as to the occurrence of treads, overreaches, coronary abscesses, &c. With regard to the practice of shoeing at this time, there are the following directions and explanations: 'There are two methods of shoeing. The first is, to shoe for the advantage of the foot, and, according to its nature and shape, to fit such shoes to it as may make it better than it is; and if it be good, may preserve and keep it from becoming bad. The second method is, that which disguiseth the foot, and maketh it appear good when really it is not; which method, although in time it wholly ruins the foot, yet horse-coursers, who have no other design but to sell and put off their horses, do not much trouble themselves about it; for provided their horses' feet but appear good, and they get them sold, it is all they desire. I shall treat of the first only, wherein are four rules to be observed in shoeing all sorts of feet whatsoever. The first is, Toe before, and quarter behind, or as we commonly say, before behind, behind before. By toe before is meant, that you may give the nails a good hold upon the toes of the forefeet, because there the horn is very thick, which it is not in the quarters of the fore-feet, for there the horn is thin,