work.’ One precaution to be taken when applying the shoe is to pare lightly the bottom of the crust first of all. A whitish line, which marks the inside of the crust, will then be found; and this white line must be preserved intact, with just a little bit to spare, when cutting the groove. Mr. Stevens, M.K.C.V.S., Park Lane, London, sends, for sixpence, a pamphlet, giving instructions; he also keeps ready-made shoes, &c., concerning all which the pamphlet furnishes information. A correspondent who shoes all his horses à la Charlier, a stranger to myself, writes: ‘I live in the country. I have an ardent disciple in the farrier, who shoes beautifully. I really don’t think the shoes he puts on my horses weigh more than one quarter those made by his neighbours do. I am glad to say, too, that it has been a fine thing for him in business; many of the neighbouring gentry employ him to shoe on this method. A horse can back a load on any ordinary road without calking, if you let him stand on his feet.’
Owners, be they farmers or otherwise, who may have read these chapters, and may be induced to give the Charlier shoe a trial—beginning, as is best, with a shoe which, called three-quartered, is short at the heels, not reaching or touching the bars, and, at the next shoeing, having only a half shoe, or rather tip, say six inches round—would be likely to venture on the four inches, which length has been found already to ‘fill the bill.’ Having arrived successfully at this point
