Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 10.djvu/279

* HORSESHOEING. 239 HOBSESHOEING. lemagne was capable of breaking with his hands an 'iron' shoe belonging to his horse. In the nature of things it was not likely that shoeing with iron was at all eoninion in the early part of the Middle Ages. William the Conqueror is be- lieved to have introduced the art into Britain. For centuries the art of the shoesmith ranked with that of the scholar and bard in England and France, and not only noblemen, bishops, and squires, but even kings practiced the craft. In fact, accord- ing to SoUeysel (c.lC(i.5), a knowledge of the art was a necessity for all persons of high estate, which explains the fact that many of the oldest families of England, France, and Poland have to-day a horseshoe device in their insignia. Oc- casionally shoeing took the form of extravagance, as when Poppsea, the wife of Xero, had her mules shod with shoes of gold — a fantastic fashion often recorded in history. As late as 1616 the English Ambassador to France entered Paris riding a horse wlio«e silver shoes were so lightly fastened on that when he came to a spot where "eminent men or beautiful women were standing" he caused his steed to prance, and so cast its shoes, which were scrambled for by the crowd. His 'argentier,' wearing a rich livery, replaced the shoes with similar ones just as loosely fastened. Modern Horse- SHOEIXG. The a d - vanced farriery of to- day owes its excel- lence to modern veter- inary science; so that there is no longer ex- cuse for the ignor- ance which in com- paratively recent times was universal, and which even to- day is prevalent to some extent. Not- withstanding State examinations and in- creased general know- ledge, it is admitted that the horse's feet are unnecessarily mu- tilated by wholesale cutting, regardless of the anatomy, physiology, and economic relations of the parts of the hoof. This practice is fol- lowed solely on the score of tradition; and. KORMAIi FOOT BEADY FOB 8HOE1MG. Mnstration of healthy frog and bars. harmful concussion. Normally, the resilience of the frog helps to maintain the natural expansion of the hoof; a vital function which is entirely destroyed by the too common use of the 'draw- Fic. 1. Fig. 3. FOOT PEEPAEED FOE CHABLIER TIP. BIGHT FITTING SHOE. Fig. 2. TBECHAELIEB TIP. Fig. 4. T^-BOXG fittisg. ing-knife,' and which converts what should be a means of protection into a source of danger. Tlie further fault of paring down the sole, until the living structures within are almost exposed through the soft, moist, half-formed horn, which is all that the paring-knife has left, is very se- verely condemned. Bad farriery and shoeing are frequently guilty of still further maiming the horse in endeavoring to improve upon nature by removing the bars, or 'opening* the heels ; such a foot becomes predisposed to contraction of the heels. In the effort to use a shoe too small for TOE weight 8BOE. SHOE TO BALANCE ACTIO.V ; HIXD FEET. SIDE WEIGHT SHOE FOR HIND FEET. great as the financial loss has been, it is little compared to the agony which horses have en- dured. The frog of the hoof is designed to act as a cushion which by its elasticity pro- tects the other structural parts from jar and the foot the rasp is brought into play, and the foot made to fit the shoe. It is generally conceded that the outside or horny wall of the hoof, to- gether with that portion of the sole which is in immediate contact with it, and upon which the