Rational Horse Shoeing and Wagon Making
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with rules, tables, recipes, etc., useful to
manufactures, blacksmiths, machinists,
well-drillers, engineers, liverymen,
horse-shoers, farmers, wagon-makers,
mechanics, amateurs and all others who have
occasion to perform the work for which this
book is primarily intended.
The foot should be level, no matter what the fault is with the
horse. The hoof should not be cut down more than the loose
scales will allow. In a healthy condition this scale is a guide.
When the foot is diseased it is different, and the shoer must
use his own judgment.
The frog never grows too large. It should never be trimmed
more than just to remove any loose scales. The f.rog in its
functions is very important to the wen-being of the foot. In the
unshod foot it projects beyond the level of the sole, always in
contact with the ground; it obviates concussion; supports the
tendons; prevents falls and contraction. The bars are also of
importance, bracing the hoof, and should never be cut down as
has been the practice for centuries by ignorant horse-shoers.
FORGING
Forging or overreaching is a bad habit, and a horse with this
fault is now very valuable. This habit can be overcome by
shoeing; but it will not be done by making the shoes short on
the heel in front and short in the toe behind. Never try this
foolish method. To overcome forging the shoer should know
what forging is. It is this: The horse breaks over with his hind
feet quicker than he breaks over with the front feet; in other
words, he has more action behind than in front, and the result
is that the hind feet strike the from it feet before they can get
out of the way, often cutting the quarters badly, giving rise to
quarter cracks and horny patches over the heel. Some writers
make a difference between forging and overreaching, but the
cause of the trouble is the same -too much action behind in
proportion to the front; and the remedy is the same-retard the
action behind, increase it in front. There are different ideas
about the remedy for this fault.
One method is to shoe heavy forward and light behind, but this
is in my judgment a poor idea, although it might help in some
cases. Another way is to shoe with side weight on the outer
side behind, but it is not safe, because it is difficult to get a
horse to throw the foot out to one side enough so as to pass
by the front foot except in a high trot.
The best way to shoe a forger or overreaching horse is to make
a shoe for front of medium heft, not longer than just what is
needed. The toe calk should be at the inner web of the shoe, or
no toe calk at all, or, toe weight, to make the horse reach
farther.
It will sometimes be found that the hind foot is shorter than the
front foot. To find this out, measure from the coronet to the end
of the toe. The shorter the foot the quicker it breaks over. If it is
found that the hind foot is shorter than the front foot, then the
shoe should be made so that it will make up for this. Let the
shoe stick out on the toe enough to make the foot of equal
length with the front foot. It is well in any case of forging to
make the hind shoe longer on the toe. If the hind shoe is back
on the foot, as is often done, it will only make the horse forge
all the more, for it will increase action behind, the horse breaks
over quicker, and strikes the front foot before it is out of the
way. Set the shoe forward as far as possible, and make long
heels. The longer the shoe is behind the longer it takes to raise
the foot and break over.
Clack forging is meant by the habit of clacking the hind and fore
shoes together. This kind of forging is not serious or harmful; it
will only tend to wear off the toe of the hind foot and annoy the
driver, possibly a little fatiguing to the horse.
The position of the feet at the time of the clack is different from
that it is supposed to be. The toe of the hind feet is generally
worn off, while no mark is made on the front feet. From this you
will understand that the hind feet never touch the heel of the
front feet, but the shoe. Just at the moment the fore foot is
raised up enough on the heel to give room for the hind foot to
wedge in under it the hind foot comes flying under the fore foot,
and the toe of the hind foot strikes the web of the toe on the
front foot. This is the reason no mark is seen on the front foot,
while the hind foot is badly worn off.
Shoe Part 2