Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-08-03
Shall We Shoe Our Horses :

have read so much about the feasibi lty
of not shOeing horses that in order to settle
it in my own mind thought that | would
try it, On the 23d of May last took of
the hind shoes of our horses, then pared
off the hoofs as | would if | was going to
put the shoes ON again. They have had
no shoes on their hind feet since. They
have been used in dong all kinds of work
on the farm in which team is used except
on horse power; have been driven good
deal on hard roads (and no town in the
state has harder road beds than this, as
our roads are nearly all glaveled with
gravel from the lake shore. and as il grind,
up and works into the soil, they in time
become very had ). Up to this time
July oath, their feet have not been sore,
neither have their hOots become ragged
| did not take their fore shoes of. ~ We
have only one span, and could not afford
to run the risk of having them become
lame, as we have to use them nearly every
day.
TWO yctrs ago we had nm extra horse
nat WAS not in the harness for thre
months but run in the pasture took of
all her shoes Her fore feet 1T came s.
sore that she cuud hardly get around,
and some DAYS would not come down ai FL
water. SUPPOSE the reason was that it
burt her feet to tavel over the hard
ground in the lane. lleT feet got 50 bad
that had to shoe them (her fore feeO
after which she did lot 90 lame, and came
regularly for water lh, is AS far as my
experience goes IN not shoeinc horses.
am satisfied that our farm horses do
not need TO be shod on their hind feet
xcepting through the winter months; bu,
should favor the snOeinG of the fore feet
think hat half moon shoes for the tOr
would he sufficient, though have never
trlcd them excepting IN tie winter time
Where horses have to be used on the ice.
then heel c',lks are necessary, because II
horse when trotting strikes the heels frs,
and consequently would slip on the Ice
il there were no heel Caks. For summer.
# sh0d at all, it is better not to have dHt
ueel calks, because the hOOf then becomes
nearer level with the lro. and not SO likely
TO become contracted, thereby causing the
, horse to become lame.
The August number of the American
Agr cultariA has IN illustrated article by
| Mason G ' eld ON Bare-iooted Horses,
hch is the most sensible thing | havr
seen on the subject, and being Illustrated,
it will give any one Il clear view OF II.
Every farmer would do well To send To-
Orange Judd Company, 75l Broadway
New York. and carefully read it. think II
would change Il good many opinions that
now prevail as to the proper shape of tt
| horse shoe, etc.
Now will give my idea an manner OF
>hoeing horses, which have practiced for
| he last three years and find to work we'll :;
and which | shall continue to do until
some better way presents Itself; notwHh
Standing TIE practice of blacksmiths TO
he contrary. In setting new shoe fist
| pare the rim of the hUUt down level with
| he sole of the foot, except at the heel
where think it ought not TO be pared
Iown quite so far, because il pared down
| level with the sole, the btrS OF the hooi
would have to be cut away 50 that there
would be nothing to keep the hoof from
drawing toge her. These bars, | think,
are intended to keep the hoof from CON
tracing so rs to pinch the frog. This, |
| think is one of the greatest faults o
| ksmiths-paring the heel too much.
1t should be pared down to these bars and
no farther. 1t you 90 farther you come to
where it is tender, and then serious r. suits
| follow Alter getting the hoof pared
sufficiently and snouthed level with the
rasp, place the foot on Il piece of borru
and mark around with II pencil, and then
| tit the shoe to this mark. A shoe fitted il
his way will not extend way back of the
heel, ha,f All inch or more, to be stepped
on and torn off; and no toe knife is needed
-one OF the worst things about horse
Shoeng. II toe knife is used at all
should nereT be used back of the quar- err
of the hoof, for here the rim of lie huoI
s very thin and will not hear cutting
without positive injury, and almost all
black do it. never chnch he nan
with The hummer. 1t is unnecessary, be
sides iniuring the hoof. A horse Will
finch at every blow struck on the top OF
he hoof with the hammer The clncher>
,houd be turned in the usual manner
aud then filed down smooth with the hooi
| he shoe will stay on just as long as il
the nnils were clinched, and then if by
negligence the shoes are left on until tn,
mails are driven up above the top Of til,
tool there are no sharp edges to cut III,
auklcs. Ii any one will attempt to draw
a nail that has been driven into the hno
Tor not more than five minutes, he will hnC
that it will adhere very strongly. sho,
ought not to extend back of the heel ovcl
n quarter of an inch mt most If il does i
brings lhe strain on the ankle, where i
ought not to come, us can be shown hI
wearing a boot with the heel extending
back Of the foot.
Farmers show too little care as regard
Their horses feet, and let the blacksmith!
| h.,u hair tnn
100 heavy shoes, sometimes, and not in
Ire quenty. My opinion is, that the sho,
should be as light as possible; also til,
nails. never use a nail larger than
No. I, use a No. mai next to the heel
because the huof at this point is thinner
and a larger nail crowds 100 much on III,
quick. Nails should be rs small AS DOS
>ble and tough. have tiled severa
kinds, and tipd that the Putnam ntll j.
the best of all that have tried. They ar,
all If uniform lOughness and never SpA
at the point. This should be cmeiull,
Guarded against, as the splitting OF ON,
nan III driving into the hoof might iniul,
the horse for life. think that most black
smiths do not use the Putnam nail, a,
they cost from five to eight cents NOR,
per pound Than other nails But they ar,
cheaper at any price than nail tina
splits while driving. Among all othe
kinds that have used have found MOI,
or less that split, hut have neUer found I
bad Putnam nail during the year that
have used them. But the Putnam mai
can he improved, according to my idea. b.
cutting the head of, Instead of ruundns
the top. think horse nail heads ouoh
not 10 be over one-cighth OF an inch from
the shoulder to the top Of the head. The,
would then fit down snug in the crease it
the shoe, and the weight of the hors,
would then be uniform all the way aroun,
the shoe, and the nails would not Wort
loose so quickly. To sum up with
LIST. Use as light IA shoe as practicable
q. Fit the shoe TO the hoof in. t.ad o
the hoot to the shoe.
Sd, Use as small and tough nails a!
possible.
4th. Never use larger than No. 6 mex
to the heel.
5h. Never strike the top of the hoo
with hammer.
9Th. Shoe often rather than at lone
intervals.
have learned this much from obscrva
ton. If there are others who have hint,