The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1915-06-30
HORSE SHOE|NG
Walter Adkiss0n Writes Well
About the Science Of Horse
Shoeinq.

Sn0elng.
The science of horse shoeing at the
present time is question Of vast i'm
portance not only to mechanics, but to
every thinking mind. 1t Is not fully
realized the amount of injury done by
poor horse shoeing. ] have travelled
over a considerable portion Of the
country and have more or less dealings
with horse shoers every where 20.
1t pains me severely, sometimes, to see
the ignorance displayed and cruelty
inflicted upon the poor horses feet by
ignorant men following the profession.
Preparing the foot for the shoe is
the greatest practical Importance,
this is one of the first things the sheer
must learn to do. 1t is advisable at
FIRST to get dead foot. Dissect it and
study its anatomy before practicing on
the foot Ct the living animal as most
beginners do. You will find the anat-
omy of a horses foot an interesting
study, and time spent studng it, will
not be time lost. The structures learn
ed you will know where to cut, ia
preparation of the foot for the shoe.
All extra growth of the wall and the
sole should be carefully removed oy
cutting and rasplng its natural size.
Use great deal of judgment in doing
this, as there are scarcely two feet
ali Ia Sc -.
grow slow, some are high heeled and
some are low, some have thick concave
soles while others are thin soles.
Flat footed horses have thin soles,
club feet have the opposite A good
rule to go by is to pare down the foot
until you come to what may be called
the white line or union Of the sole and
wall. All the horn removed in cutting
down. to this white line is extra growth
and should be cut away.
In fiat feet little pairing is necessary,
which are seldom afflicted with con,
traction while the strong foot is very
prone to contract On and needs oonsid-
cradle pairing to prepare it for the
shoe. After pairing down the union of
sole and wall, care must be taken to
leave the foot perfect Level! dead
level fore and aft and from side to
side. a foot may be perfectly level on
the bottom and yet not properly bal
anced. That the angle of the wall
varies in different horses, is a fact
known to all horse shoers. What that
angle should be, must be determined
by lateral survey of the foot and
limb, so as to have the strain or weight
equally divided. Step in front or be-
hind the animal and note if the limb
tits in or out, if it does the hoof is not
level on the ground surface and must
be made level and well-talanced be-
. fore the shoe is applied. If this level
ing cannot be properly done with the
eye alone, a compass for the purpose
may be of considerable service in fitting
tho foot for the shoe.
, The frog of horses foot, while in a
healthy state, should never be touched
with knife, axcept to pare away, the
ragged edges, etc. The shoe will de-
pend somewhat upon the weight and
. size of the animal and the nature of
the work he has to perform, Draft
horses, of course, usually require
heavy shoes with calks attached, while
, driving horses need only light plates,
except in the north during the winter
time. They have to be shod with ice
shoes to prevent slipping. In all cases
T make the shoe as light as the nature
OF the animals work will permit.
The only mission of the shoe is to
prevent undue wear of the foot and
b light one will do quite as well as a
/, heavy one. Let the shoe be of good
length, perfectly level ON the bearing
surface to correspond to the prepared
foot and weight to suit the animal.
In cases of deformity, lameness. etc,
good results are obtained from
; mechanical means, but all such cases
should be under the supervision of a
qualified surgeon. Of course, it is
much easier to make the foot fit the
shoe, than it is to make the shoe fit
the foot, but such an excuse is lazy
one on the part Of the sheer.