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                                  THE
                         ART OF HORSE-SHOEING

                        A Manual for Farriers,


                            [Illustration]


                                  BY
                      WILLIAM HUNTING, F.R.C.V.S.

                  _Editor of The Veterinary Record._
          _Veterinary Inspector for Westminster and Chelsea._
    _Consulting Veterinary Surgeon to the London Road-Car Company._
   _Member of the Committee for National Registration of Farriers._

                With nearly one hundred Illustrations.


                                London:
                  H. & W. BROWN, 20 FULHAM ROAD, S.W.

                                 1895.




                               CONTENTS.


  CHAP.                                                            PAGE.

     I.--INTRODUCTION

    II.--FORM AND ACTION OF THE FOOT                                   9
           The hoof. The sensitive foot, growth and wear of hoof.
           The bones, cartilages, pads and vessels. Action of the
           foot, expansion and contraction, function of the frog.
           The natural bearing-surface.

   III.--PREPARATION OF HOOF FOR SHOEING                              32
           Bearing-surface for shoe. Proportions of foot, height
           of heel, length of toe, treatment of sole and frog.
           Faults to be avoided.

    IV.--THE FORM AND MANUFACTURE OF SHOES                            48
           Material, weight, thickness, width. The foot-surface
           of shoes. The ground-surfaces. Calkins, nails and
           nail-holes. Machine-made shoes. Prepared bar-iron.

     V.--SELECTION OF A SHOE                                          65
           For varieties of horse and work.

    VI.--FITTING AND APPLICATION OF SHOES                             67
           Level or adjusted form. Outline fitting, surface fitting.
           Clips, hot and cold fitting. Tips. The Charlier system.

   VII.--ON ROUGHING                                                  83
           Necessity for, evils of. Frost-nails, ordinary "roughing."
           Movable steel sharps, steel screw sharps.

  VIII.--INJURIES RESULTING FROM SHOEING                              90
           From nails, from the clip, from the shoe. "Corns,"
           "burnt sole." "Treads." "Cutting or Brushing."
           "Over-reaching." "Speedy-cut." "Forging or Clacking."

    IX.--SHOEING BAD FEET                                            100
           Flat feet, convex soles, broken feet.

     X.--LEATHER AND RUBBER PADS                                     107
           Plain leather, ring-leathers, frog-pads. The Pneumatic
           Pad, The Wedge-pad, The Bar-pad.

    XI.--SHOEING COMPETITIONS                                        112




                               PREFACE.


This little book is written for three classes of readers--for
horse-owners who may interest themselves in the subject, for farriers
who are open to conviction, and for veterinary students who have to be
examined.

The method pursued has been, to first describe the form and action of
the foot, next the preparation of the foot for shoeing. Then the form
of a shoe is treated of and the details to be observed in making it.
The selection of shoes for varieties of feet or for special kinds of
work follows, and afterwards the fitting and nailing-on are considered.
Other chapters are devoted to "roughing," shoeing defective feet,
accidents, the use of leathers and pads.

Throughout an endeavour has been made to be as simple and clear as
possible in expression, to lay down correct general principles and to
point out the technical details which are essential to good shoeing.
On all these points authorities are not agreed, and I trust those who
differ from me will pardon any too dogmatic expressions of opinion in
these pages.

The illustrations will be of assistance in making clear the text.
Some of these are copied from books, some are drawn from models or
preparations, and some are diagramatic. The books I am indebted to are,
"Anatomy of the Domestic Animals," by Gamgee and Laws; "On the Horse's
Foot," by Bracy Clark; Bouley's "Atlas of the Foot," and Goyau's
"Maréchalerie."

                                                   WILLIAM HUNTING.

  16 Trafalgar Square,
  London, S.W.




            THE ART OF HORSE-SHOEING A MANUAL FOR FARRIERS.




                              CHAPTER I.


Farriery is the art of shoeing horses, and can only be properly learned
by a long practical experience in the shoeing-forge. If the foot of the
horse were not a living object perhaps the training obtained in the
forge would be all that was necessary for efficient workmanship. As,
however, the hoof is constantly growing it is constantly changing its
form. The duty of a farrier therefore is not merely to fix a shoe upon
the hoof but to reduce the hoof to proper proportions before doing so.
Now as hoof is only the outer covering of a complex and sensitive foot,
damage to the exterior surface may injure the structures within. Injury
does frequently result, and not always from carelessness. Perhaps as
much injury follows careful work, based upon wrong principles, as
slovenly work carried out in perfect ignorance of any principle. The
injury to feet resulting from shoeing may not be apparent at once. It
may be, and often is, of a slow and gradual nature, and not credited to
its true cause until the horse is rendered an incurable <DW36>.

It seems evident then that to do justice to a horse a farrier should
not only possess manipulative skill, but should have a correct idea
of the structures and functions of the foot, as well as a thorough
knowledge of the form and variations of the hoof.

Few persons appreciate the importance of horse-shoeing, whilst a small
number tell us it is unnecessary. Here and there an enthusiast has the
courage of his convictions and is able, for a time, to exhibit animals
doing work without shoes