Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-02-06

Times, ofor the benefit Of blacksmiths
and those keeping horses. Very few of
| us-who are so unfortunate rs to be forced
to keep horses in this country-but have
suffered more or less by reason of the
improper shoeing to which these animals
are subjected-and hardly any Of US
who have been afflicted in this manner
and have taken the trouble to examine
into the condition Of the horse, which fol.
lows almost as necessary consequence Of
being shod, but have discovered that the
smith has been guilty Of perpe,rating
many of those objectionable features Of
shoeing referred to in this article, and par.
ticularIy Of pairing down The heel nearly
to the hair
There are great number of diseases
which atliict the horse, and which are all
directly or indirectly, produced by impro.
per care of the animals feet and by bad
shoeing. Of these may be named, con.
tractcd feet, CONS in the heel, sand or
quarter cracks, gravel, thrush, Swinging
ers. These are the more com on diseases
OF the horse, given in common language,
as used by smiths and tarriers. These
diseases are peculiar to horses that have
| been shod, and are never KIN ,wn in horses
that have not been shod. My experience
in the Indian country has convinced me
, Of this; for, Of the thousands Of Indian
ponies that | have seen, AID which are
never shod. have not me, one having
either Of the diseases named.
Now, the natural shape of the horse
| foot is ct-cular-as broad as it is long
! Tire frog is the life Of it-supplying oil to
the wall Of the hoof. and elasticity to the
! whole. 1t is of u wedge like shape, aud
is connected with the outer and hard por-
, tons Of the foot by ligaments, which are
commonly called braces In shoeing the
first thing usually done by the smith is to
pare this frog, and the next is to cut away
the braces which connect the frog with
the balance Of the foot. The effect OF
this is, first, to dry up the frog, and to
change II from springy, vitalizing sub.
stance into a dead aud bony one; the
second, is to contract tho hoof, changing
it from round to an ob!ong shape, and
subjecting the animal to one or another
OF the diseases named. The first rule to
be observed by the smith, then, who wants
to shoe properly Is, never 20 touch the frog
with knife. Nature will take of that,
and. whenever the covering becomes too
thick or hard, it will scale off of ITSELF
The second is, Lever to Gu, the sides Of
the braces, for such cutting separates the
g. H. 81 l.
life, as | have already said. The third is.
never to open or cut out the heels, for the
substance placed there has its use to pre-
serve the shape of the foot and to prevent
it from contracting. In a word, conhne
your cutting and rasping to the sole and
wal! of the foot, aud employ these only
for the purpose of leveling the ground
surface Of the foot 80 that the foot will
bear naturally and equally upon the shoe.
These rules, strictly observed, will preserve
the foot in healthy condition; and, the
foot thus preserved. all cause for the dis.
eases mentioned will be obviated or re-
moved.
That is to say, if the shoe itself is pro.
per'y made; for without a true and we'll
shaped shoe, the careful preparation of the
Such shoe should be both concave and
convex in shape, and formed 10 cores.
pond with the structure Of the foot
The weight Of the animal should be thrown
upon the hard outer wall, and be equally
distributed upon all portions Of the foot
which were intended to bear such weight.
BY looking n. the horses foot it will be
seen that the portions thus intended to
bear weight are the front and quarters
The depth Of hoof in these portions is
very great; while a, the heel the hoof is
thin and not calculated for heavy pressure.
Now, with the common, fiat, three'corked
shoe, over two thirds Of the weight Of the
animal is thrown upon the heel Of the
foot. or upon its most tender portion
With correct shoe, this tender part Of
the hoof will be almost entirely relieved
from this pressure, and be made to bear
only its natural proportion; a thing in.
possible with the ordinary shoe. for, in
that. two Of the three corks are set directly
under the heel.
The Republican papers are making fun
over the Democratic pyramid of States,
which the late Fall elections have left
standing in this shape
N
W
J +
II s
L Y
This is as large AS the Republican pyra.
mid wil ka ir. tnn yaars from now Whom