Page:Horse shoes and horse shoeing.djvu/610

 Impériale des Voitures de Paris, and it has already been proved that for the fore-feet, the duration of the shoe leaves nothing to be desired, and it is at least equal to that of the ordinary shoe. For the hind-feet only, because of the hard work imposed upon these horses, more resistance is required; and I hope to obtain this result when the hoofs become stronger, and allow me to employ shoes which are thicker at the toe, and also adding a kind of clips, for those which twist their feet. At present this is not possible; the feet have been too long narrowed at the toe, rasped, chiselled, deteriorated, in a word chinoisés; and it is necessary that I wait until nature, with the help of the simple protection she requires, repair the damage which has been done. It is not usually until the third or fourth shoeing, when the wall begins to grow thicker, and the horn of the sole stronger and more solid, that we may venture to put on strong shoes and imbed them well.'

As this mode of shoeing has attracted much attention, and as it presents several features which, if they are not particularly novel, are yet interesting, closely connected as they are with the functions and preservation of the horse's foot, the principles followed in its application will be noticed somewhat in detail, particularly as they are sufficiently simple to be readily understood.

The instruments required differ but little from those now in use, though they may be much lighter and more convenient. The boutoir employed by the French maréchal to pare the foot has, in this instance, its borders raised at right angles to a certain height, and is provided with a guide or regulator in the middle of its louder face, so as to give to each side of the blade a width proportioned to the