OVERREACHING.
Young horses are more subject to overreaching than old ones. It very frequently disappears as the speed of the animal is increased. At a moderate gait, the front feet do not always get out of the way in time for the hind ones, as they are brought forward. Sometimes the heels are cut or badly bruised, and occasionally the shoes are torn from the fore-feet.
Remedy.—Have the front shoes made nearly twice the weight of the hind shoes. Lower the toe-calk on the fore shoe and increase the ordinary length of the calk on the hind shoe, and do not make the fore shoe to project more than half an inch beyond the heel. If the horse should have a good square heel, don’t allow the shoe to project any. Observe to instruct the smith to pare the toe or forward part of the fore-foot, and not the heel, simply rasping it to form a level surface. See illustration of shoes, Figs. 2 and 3.
Sure Method of Producing a Rapid Growth in Horses’ Hoofs.—Wash the hoof and apply common soft soap inside and out, twice a day, avoiding to rub any on the frog of the foot. Care should be used so as not to allow the soap to remain on the hair near the hoof. By putting a mark near the hair, the operator will be better able to judge the rapid growth. While using the above, should the hoof get soft, apply salt, which will quickly harden. I have grown an entirely new hoof on a horse in six weeks, by following the above direction.
AN EXPOSITION
OF THE
DUNBAR SYSTEM OF HORSESHOEING,
AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE’S FOOT.
As taught to the Farriers of the United States Army by Alexander Dunbar, under the authority of the Joint Resolution of Congress, and for which Dunbar received twenty-five thousand dollars. Highly recommended to the U. S. Army by Robert Banner and George Wilkes.