Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-07-27
even bearing necessary to pstiec, fitting of

until IL mas oeeh aScertahed ihdtihe pressure
OF the hands is suficien, TO keep !, steadily In
! its place, and preclude any appearance OF day
/ light between it and the foot for. if the shoe
does not accurately correspond to the surface
of the foot. but disposed 10 shift abou, upon
IT, the nails will be exposed 10 a constant
strain in order 10 keep it in its place where
as they should merely have to hold it to ihe
foot and not, as it were, 10 keep it there by
I force.
The shoes should not be permitted 10 remain
on the horses feet more than two or three
weeks without removal for in that time the
heads Of the nails will have become worn,
and, from fitting the holes less perfectly than
before, will admit OF !rifng motion Of the
shoe upon the halls whereby the holes in the
hoof will be enlarged, and the security of the
shoe endangered. Another reason for reno
wing the shoes, is the opportunity which il
, affords of pairing away those portions Of horn
which In state Of nature would have been
worn down BY con,ac, with the ground.
The next circumstance to be considered is
one of vital importance TO our subjectas upon
1t depends the amount Of disturbance that tho
natural functions Of the foot are destined To
sustain from the shoe, viz, the number and
situation of the nails which are TO secure il
to the foot. II they be numerous, and placed
back in the quarters and heels, no form of
shoe, be it ever so perfect, can save the foot
from contraction and navicular disease. II
on the contrary they be few, and placed in
the outside quarter and toe, leaving the inside
quarter and heels quite free TO expand, no form
of shoe is so bad tha, j, can, from defective
form alone. produce contraction of the foot.
Three years ago ! commenced a series of
experiments upon shoeing, with q view.
among other things, OF ascer,aining how tt,S
nails are absolutely necessary, under ordlna-
n circumstances. fox retaining shoe secure
ly in its place. The subjects of my expert
ments were six horses of my own, and ihres
belonging TO friends the nine among then,
representing very fairly the different classes
of pleasure horses.
When my attention was first directed to
the subject Of mailing. vas employing seven
nails in each fore and eight in each hind shoe.
I then Withdrew one nail from each shoe, thus
reducing the number to SIX IN the fore, and
seven in the hind shoes; and finding at tho
end of yea. that the shoes Of all the horses
had been as firmly retained as formerly,
withdrew another nail from each oe.leaving
only FIVE in the fore shoes and SIX in the hind.
I found, however, that six nails would not re-
tain the hind shoe of carriage horse,wiihou;
allowing it sometimes to shift so I returned
to employ mar hdriptr~e .asa havs rnnfinnrd
have retained all The Iore shoes as firmly du-
ring the whole Of the last year and half, AZ
six had previously done.
have invariably directed and superin,cnd-
ed the whole operation ofshoeins during these
experiments; and have always been very care
ful to mark that the nails were not driven
high up in the crust, bu, brought out as soon
as possible and that they were very lightly
driven up before the chnshes were turned
down, and not, as is generally the case, forced
up with all the power that the smith can bring
10 bear upon them with his hammer. men
ton these circumstances 10 show that nv
object really was 10 ascertain ho,r htfk would
retain a shoe. and 10 what extent the foot
might be relieved from the evil of uunecesSa-
ry restraint matter sometimes of great
moment. and at all times desirable.
The clinches should not be rasped away too
fine, but turned down broad and firm. The
practice of rasping the whole surface Of the
hoof after the ciinches have been turned
down, should never be permitted i, destroys
the covering provide by nature as Proiec-
ton against the too rapid evaporation of tho
moisture of the hoof, and Causes the horn To-
become dry and brittle.
| have detailed these experiments with a
view 10 expose the groundiess nature Of the
fear that expects to cast shoe at every s;er,
unless it be held 10 the foot by eight or nine
nails. driven high into the crust. If the pre-
sencc OF nail in the crust were a matter Of
no moment, and two or three more than are
necessary were merely useless, there wond BE-
no great reason TO interfere with this practice
of making assurance doutiy sure; bu, it
is tar o,herwise-the nails separate the fbres
of the horn, and they never by any chance be-
come united again, bu; continue assured and
unclosed, until by degrees they grow down
with the rest Of the hoof. and are uimaislys
after repeated shoeings, removed by the knife.
If the clinches should happen TO rise, they
mus; be replaced without delay; as such IL
sing imparts 10 the nails a freedom of motion
which is sure to enlarge the size Of the holes.
and this mischief is often increased by the
violent wrenching which the shoe un6ergoea
from side 10 side in the process Of removal by
the smith.
Now as these holes can not possibly grow
down. and be removed under three shoeingS.
il will be found that even with seven nails, ,ihe
crust must always have twen,y-one Of these
separations existing IN II al the same time.
and as they are often from a riety of causes
extended into each other they necessarily kesp
it IN a brittle, unhealthy state. and materially
interfere with the security Of the future nail
hold Unluckily the common practice under
such circumstances is 10 increase the number
of nails with the view OF insuring the securi-
ty of the shoe while on the Contrary II incrca-
scs the evil. Ny object is 10 show ihat these
shakv places, as they are called, may be re-
lisved by the omission Of one or two oi thc
nails. without endanserIDg the security OF mo
shoe. Suppose the numter employed to ne
ssvcp-,, gain such an end they may be safe
Il. ,e5rced 10 fvewhich is the largest number
b,v. empoyed for more Than two years; and
un,jII discover some good reason for increas-
;nrjr.it is the largest I intend to employ
Bn; I am far from advising the general adoP-
non Of this number; for if from imperfect
fitting of The shoe, displacement Of the nails.
,.,Ier, of rcncviuc IN proper time, or for