1. That it gives a better foothold;
2. That the hole can be made the exact shape of the nail, and a perfect fitting thus ensured;
3. That the farrier can see whether or not the nail is accurately fitted;
4. That it makes the shoe lighter.

These advantages are, however, rather illusory, and are largely discounted by the fact that they wear out more quickly than 'Rodway' shoes. The real reason for the wide adoption of the 'fullered' shoe is that the nail holes can be more easily stamped by machinery. Calkins are produced by turning down the heel at right angles, so as to give a good grip. To lessen the chance of 'brushing', the inner side of the shoe is often hammered into a wedge shape, making it the same height by removing the sharp edge. Plain shoes are those in which the surface is flat. Concave shoes have the inside of the 'web' hollowed out, so that the ground surface is narrower than the foot surface. The advantage of this is that the shoe is lighter, and in deep going does not create so much suction. Concave shoes do not, however, last so long as plain shoes. 'Feather-edged' shoes have the inner branch of the web narrowed from toe to heel, and slope inwards under the hoof. They are useful for horses with a tendency to 'brush'. A 1/2 -inch shoe is one from which an inch or two of the heel has been removed. It is used either to relieve pressure on a corn, or to prevent, 'brushing' in a horse that turns its toes out.

Clips: In order to keep a shoe in its place 'clips' are drawn from the 'web', either at the toe or at the 'quarter', and a small piece of horn is removed for their reception. Clips should be as small as possible, and should have a stout base so that they will stand strain. Light horses, however, can go perfectly well without them.

Nails: Except for frost nails, all nails are now machine made. They can be 'rose-headed' or 'counter-sunk'. In the former, the head of the nail lies above the nail hold. In the latter, which may be either 'half or 'full' counter, the head is embedded in the web and gives a firm attachment and does not wear loose. The number of nails should be as small as possible, and the nails should not be driven in higher than is necessary to secure a hold. Five nails is the usual number, 2 inside and 3 out. In heavy draught horses seven and even eight are used.

Wear of shoes: A month to five weeks is the usual life of a shoe. Horses that wear out their shoes very quickly should be shod with convex shoes.

Weight of shoes:

Hunters 4 to 5 lb. a set.
Light draught horses 8 to 14 lb. a set.
Heavy draught horses up to 20 lb. a set.
Race horses are shod with plates weighing about 3 oz. each.

Tips and 'Charlier' shoes are not more than half the length of full shoes. Their object is to bring the frog on to the ground, and they are an excellent method for doing so. But they need to be applied with considerable judgment or the extra concussion will cause further mischief. Shoes for stumbling: The shoe can be rasped short and the toe turned up, or it can be thinned as much as possible at the toe.

FITTING THE SHOE

Cold shoeing: Cold shoeing is like buying your boots ready made; they may fit, and they may not. Hot shoeing is like having your boots made to measure.

previous page | next page