Page:Horse shoes and horse shoeing.djvu/561

 direction differs a little from the French 'adjusting balance,' inasmuch as they direct four points of adjustment at the toe, and two at the heels, which leaves the quarters rounded, and renders the foot not so secure on the ground. The sole next must have attention; the superfluous parts of which that have appeared since the last shoeing should be removed; this will leave it concave, and the crust or wall below the sole. Mr Moorcroft observes, that paring the soles has a tendency to bring on 'pumiced' feet, but I have not observed any such effect; on the contrary, if the sole is allowed to grow too thick, it loses its elastic property, and the sensible sole suflers in proportion to the degree of thickness and want of elasticity.' The frog, if too large or ragged, was also to be sliced away, and when the shoe was put on, a portion of the crust was to be removed at the heels and quarters. Horses with long pasterns were to have these shoes thicker at the heels, with a view to give support, and to counteract too great a flexure in that part.

By this method of shoeing, in Mr Goodwin's experience, the proportion of lame horses had been considerably reduced, and defects and deformities removed. The curve or curb at the toe was no disadvantage to draught-horses going up-hill; the ordinary shoe, when in wear for a few days, lost its sharp edge, and was then far more likely to slip than one with the broad surface of the curved toe. 'Those persons who may be averse to the adjusting curve of the French shoe will find that the next best shape is a perfect plane on the foot side, and the same on the ground side, of the width of the nail-holes all round (which should be of the French form), and the remaining part of the web or