River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-10-12
Farm and Garden.
Horse Shoe and Shooting.

Forest and Stream.
On an average horses require shoe
ing once month. The length of tim
a shoe will wear depends much on tn
kind of service horse is doing, and Oh
the kind of road he is daily travelling
A team horse in heavy draught doe
not wear out as n.Iny shoes as one useC
in hack; quick motion grinds shoes
down more rapidly than slow use
Some pavement is harder on shoes
than an ordinary road, while the fric
ton of gravelly road wears then
away rapidly. Wooden pavement i:
but little saving to the wear and teal
of shoes, for the grit and dust which
become impacted in the interstices OF
the wooden block grind away shoes like
the friction of an emery wheel.
The hind shoes wear out first, and
there is more strain and friction on
them than on the fere-shoes. 1t is inn
possible and improper for horse to
wear shoes more than six weeks, for
the growth of the foot shortens the
shoe, as well as changes the shape 9TH
erwise. The neglect will cause the
shoe to encroach upon the soft text
ures of the foot and produce lameness.
The greatest amount of custom to
the blacksmith comes from the team
sters, expressmeA and livery men.
Omnibus and railroad companies have
their own FORCES and do their own
shoeing.
The process of making horseshoe
is familiar to every school-loy, who
has often fingered at the smithy door,
and listened to the wheeling of the
asthmatic bellows, and when the foot
is paired wondered why it did not
bleed. Again he has seen the strong
armed workman pluck the piece of
glowing metal from the bright fire,
and with the hammer give it repeated
blows, and give it shape by curling
over the anvil point. Heating again
and again, the iron he pounds mali
ciously. causing the kissing sparks to
fly in all directions, until at length
shoe is formed complete.
This tedious process is superseded
by machinery, and now, like q dough-
nut, Il shoe is cut out of piece
of steel, shaped, creased and
punched, precisely rs if done by hand.
More shoes can be made by machinery
in one day than blacksmith can make
by forge III week, and equally as
good, too, in all respects.
The matter of horse shooting is of
great interest to owners of horse flesh.
for everyone has an idea how the shoe
should be shaped and fitted to enable
the beast to travel to his notion. If
he overreaches, interferes, or stun
bles, the blacksmith is held response
BILE. 1t is true, a skillful mechanic
can do much to remedy these evils.
There are but few practical mechan-
les who have sufficiently studied the
foot of the horse. 1t is not enough to
know the anatomy of the foot, and
where to insert nail not to cause pain,
but the foot should be studied in the
state of nature before the mechanism
of man has by artificial appliances dis
torted it.
The shape of the hoof of the wild
horse, or of one who has never been
shod, should be taken as a model. The
foot is then properly balanced, neither
too long nor too broad, but it has adj
justed itself to nature, and the mus
cles or tendons are not strained by
travel. Confinement and unskillful
shoeing changes the anatomical rela.
tons of the foot, and the best judg.
ment of the mechanic is often taxed
to correct the growing deformity-
from unskillful shoeing. When rea-
soning, skillful mechanic is found, the
horse is safe in his hands, for he only
preserves the normal shape of the
hoof, and adjusts the shoe to protect it.
The frog In the hoof OF the Nurse is
placed there for particular purpose,
and should not be cut by the sheer. If
this is allowed. contraction and lame
ness VIII follow. The shape and weight
of the shoe should be accommodated
to the purpose TO which they are de-
signed. The track horse requires
shoe lighter and without corks, while
the draft horse must have heavy,
broad sboe, with cofks. 10 enable him
to obtain foothold and travel with the
least possible strain. The sporting
horse should be shod lightly, with
swell at the heel and toe; the best
nails should be selected, and care used
in clinching, for the casting of the
shoes during the chase is of great incon-
venienee, aud might threw the horse
and jeopardize the limbs and life of
the rider.