The Horse Shoer's Companion and Guide for the Management and Cure of Horse Feet with Instructions on Diseases of the Feet, Ways of Holding While being Shod, on the Choice of Feet, Stabling, Etc.

By Isaac A. Cavanagh

This vintage book contains a comprehensive guide to horse shoeing, with chapters on common diseases, horse control and management, general maintenance, anatomy, and other useful tips. Although an old book, "The Horse Shoer's Companion" contains a wealth of timeless information and will be of considerable utility to modern horse-owners and farriers. Contents include: "Horse Shoeing", "On Making the Shoe", "Fitting the Shoe", "Setting and Mailing on the Shoe", "On Whipping and Abusing Horses while being Shod", "Ways of Holding and Managing them while Shoeing", "Remarks on the Choosing and Taking care of the Feet, Removing the Shoes, &c.", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in a modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on maintaining and caring for horses.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Home Farm Books
• Release date: Sep 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781473343863

Book preview

Horse Shoeing.

There is probably no part of a horse that requires more care and attention than his feet, and in order to protect them from injury, and to assist him in traveling and hauling heavy loads, we must have shoes made for the protection of his feet, as well as for his assistance and comfort in traveling. It is evident that if most horses had not shoes on that they would soon be rendered useless by their hoofs breaking and wearing down, owing to the hard roads and constantly heavy pressure that the feet are subject to, particularly in case the horse is drawing heavy loads.

In the first place, then, allow me to draw your attention to the fact that you must make the shoe fit the foot, for it too often happens in careless and hurried shoeing that the foot is made to fit the shoe, which is most pernicious and evil in its results, for it often binds the foot, and, therefore, hinders it from growing in its natural form. It results in an injury to the sole of the foot by undue pressure; is also very often a first cause for the seating of corns in the foot, and moreover, such shoeing, if continued, will eventually contract and deform the feet, thereby laying the foundation for troublesome ailments which may result in permanent disease. The shoes should be the proper size and shape and made to suit the particular condition of the feet and the various degrees of use that will be required of them. We know that the horse’s foot expands when his weight is thrown on it, and contracts when it is taken off. Therefore it is essential that we must be very particular in making the shoe fit the foot and, also, in the manner of nailing it on, if we are not, it is very likely that the shoe will be put on very indifferently and in such a manner as will not allow the free expansion and contraction of the foot as nature requires, which will thereby cause uneasiness and injury to the animal as long as it remains on.

It would be well if every horse shoer understood well the anatomy of a horse’s foot, if they did, they would have a better idea of preparing the foot for shoeing, in driving the nails and the shape of shoes that would be best suited for any particular kind or condition of foot, both in health and