orten the stride--as
stiffening of the limbs through age, overwork, or disease--bring the
grounding wear nearer the toe.

An exception should be noted, however, in founder, in which the
grounding wear is most pronounced at the heels.

If one branch of the shoe is found to be worn much thinner than the
other, the thinner branch has either been set too near the middle line
of the foot (fitted too close), where it has been bearing greater weight
while rubbing against the ground, or, what is much more often the case,
the section of wall above the thinner branch has been too long (too
high), or the opposite section of wall has been too short (too low).
"One-sided wear, uneven setting down of the feet, and an unnatural
course of the wall are often found together." How much an old shoe can
tell us, if we take time and pains to decipher its scars!

The horse should next be observed at a walk and at a trot or pace, from
in front, from behind, and from the side, and the "breaking over," the
carriage of the feet, and the manner of setting them to the ground
carefully noted and remembered. A horse does not always move just as his
standing position would seem to imply. Often there is so great a
difference in the form and slant of two fore hoofs or two hind hoofs
that we are in doubt as to their normal shape, when a few steps at a
trot will usually solve the problem instantly by showing us the line of
flight of the hoofs and referring them to the regular, base-wide, or
base-narrow form.

No man is competent either to shoe a horse or to direct the work till he
has made the precited observations.

PREPARATION OF THE HOOF FOR THE SHOE.

After raising the clinches of the nails with a rather dull clinch cutter
("buffer") and drawing the nails one at a time, the old shoe is
critically examined and laid aside. Remaining stubs of nails are then
drawn or punched out and the hoof freed of dirt and partially detached
horn. The farrier has now to "dress" the overgrown hoof to receive the
new shoe; in other words, he has to form a base of support so inclined
to the direction of the pasterns that in motion this surface shall be
set flat upon the ground. He must not rob the hoof nor leave too much
horn; either mistake may lead to injury. If he has made a careful
preliminary examination he knows what part of the wall requires removal
and what part must be left, for he already knows the direction of the
foot axis and the wear of the old shoe