The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-10-28

1
date at the shoeing competition avoid
cd the practice, and that was one point
they had gained by lecturing occas-
ionally on shoeing.
Another point they had taught
smiths recently-tbey did not oil know
twas that the wall was of the same
thickness all the way up until they
got to where the coronary band was
| placed. Some smiths we're very pro-
nounced in their ideas about the dis.
tance the nail could be driven in the
horn, and took great credit for being
able to drive nails Il considerable dis
tance in the horn; but if o man could
drive q nail properly, he could drive
it the whole length just as easily rs he
could one inch. That it was right to
do it was another matter.
Having given particulars as to the
sole, frog and bar parts of the horses
foot, he stated that a fact smiths
should bear in mind was that if they
removed too much of the bar they we're
robbing the sole of support, and also
the frog.
Dealing with the question of horse.
shoeing, he said many people we're un.
der the impression it was a simple
thing to pull off horseshoe; when
smith took off shoe he should do it
carefully, or it might give rise to seri-
Gus mischief. The shoe was fixed on
by clenched nails. Those clenches
should be most carefully removed.
If they were not the wrenching of the
shoe from the foot might break the
old nails and leave what the smith
called stub in the foot; or he might
draw the old clench into the horn.
He was not one to say that smith,
under all and any circumstances,
should be blamed for prickinga a horse.
There were circumstances where it was
almost impossible to avoid such se-
rious accident. There were feet with
suoh walls upon them that it was
most difficult job to drive a nail with
out getting it so close to the sensitive
structure as to bring about binding.
He was thoroughly of opinion, how
ever, that if more care was exercised
in the removal of shoes, the risk of
pricking horses would be reduced to
very considerable extent. If piece
of stub was left in the horn, however
we'll a nail might I've driven, If it hap.
pened to meet the foresgn intruder,
the next blow would cause mischief.
He believed he stood almost alone in
the opinion that instead of putting the
pinchers on the inner heel it should
be grasped by the inner quarter.
The nails on the inner side of the shoe
were not so far back as on the outer,
and there was plenty of room to use
the pincers nearer the quarter, away
from the heel. Very many cases of
corn would be avoided if that were
done, and smiths could not do any
harm by taking his advice.
Regarding the parting of the foot,
he contended that horse should not
be robbed of horn. He was afraid
there was little too much tendency
on the part of smiths to lower the
heel. The heel was made up of the
back part of the crust and of the bar,
and ii they lowered the heel they must
rob the horses foot of portion of the
crust and of the bar, too. Another
erroneous idea was that the frog should
come to the ground, and some went
so far to say that the sole should have
a certain amount of pressure. If they
put horse on a sandy plain or turf,
it could put up with frog or sole pres.
sure. But why was the sole made
concave if the sole was intended to
come to the ground and bear portion
of the weight? 1t was made concave
so that it should be out of the way of
pressure, and the frog was made elias.
tic so that it should yield considerably
to pressure. Therefore don't rob the
horse of that part OF the foot which
was intended to take the pressure.
The horses crust, the outer margin,
the portion to which they nailed the
shoe, was the portion which should
receive the weight-and that was the
portion the smith should legislate to
keep in the healthiest condition pos.
sible.
Having reiterated his opinion that
horse nails as at present made were
made the wrong way, he went on to
observe that nails should not be driven
higher than necessary, and never in
old horn. Regarding the driving of
nails, there was only one thing to learn
we'll, and that was the sound of the
hammer on the head of the nail during
the time of driving. When the smith
said he knew the nail was going right
other than by the sound of the blow
he was humbugging them. In refer
ence to clenehing, he advised them not
to file nick in the foot opposite every
clench-there was no necessity for it,
and it was just as we'll avoided. Farm,
Stock, and Home.