Page:Horse shoes and horse shoeing.djvu/540

 part of it which is to be placed immediately next the foot, a narrow rim or margin is to be formed, not exceeding the breadth of the crust upon which it is to rest, with the nail-holes placed exactly in the middle; and, from this narrow rim, the shoe is to be made gradually thinner towards its inner edge (figs. 191, 192).

The breadth of fig. 191 the shoe is to be regulated by the size of the foot and the work to which the horse is accustomed; but, in general, it should be made rather broad at the toe, and narrow towards the extremity of each heel, in order to let the frog rest with freedom upon the ground. The shoe being thus formed and shaped like the foot, the surface of the crust is to be made smooth, and the shoe fixed on with eight, or at most ten, nails, the heads of which should be sunk into the holes, so as to be equal with the surface of the shoe. The sole, frog, and bars should never be pared.'

This, it will be at once perceived, is nothing more or less than the modern seated-shoe which Mr Clark recommends; but he appears to have met the usual amount of opposition. 'So much are farriers, grooms, etc., prejudiced in favour of the common method of shoeing and paring out the feet, that it is with difficulty they can even be prevailed upon to make a proper trial of it. They