Left hind hoof of a toe-narrow pacer, shod to prevent cross-firing: _a_, dotted line indicating outer border of the hoof; _b_, long bent outer branch; _c_, short, thin inner branch; _d_, inner wall extending beyond the shoe; _f_, line from which inner branch is feather-edged. The shoe is of even thickness from _b_ to _f_ at inner toe; but from latter point to _c_ diminishes to a feather edge.] [Illustration: FIG. 152. Front view of hoof and shoe depicted in Fig. 151: _a_, outer branch fitted very full and bevelled base-wide; _b_, inner branch diminishing in thickness from inner toe _c_, to its termination at the inner quarter. Designed to favor “breaking over” near centre of the toe, and to widen the gait.] =The shoe= should be light, without heel-calks, but may carry a low, curved grab (“grab,” is a low, straight or curved, toe-or heel-calk on a racing plate) running from the second inner toe nail to the centre of the toe. _The inner branch_ is to be fitted flush with the wall from the centre of the toe back to the quarter, back of which point it gradually extends beyond the wall, _i.e._, is fitted full; and terminates well back of the buttress. _This inner branch_ should be from one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch longer than the outer branch. _The long inner branch, full at the quarter, is desirable, but must be covered by a quarter-boot, which a cross-firer should always wear._ _The outer branch_ should be fitted snug and terminate at the buttress. From the centre of the toe to the end of the branch the ground-surface should be bevelled from the inner edge of the web to a knife-edge at the outer border. Dressing and shoeing the hind foot: =The hoof= should be relatively low from the centre of the toe around to and including the _inner_ buttress. If the outer half of the hoof is deficient in length, it must be raised above the inner half by applying a shoe with a thin inner branch. The inner branch may terminate in a knife-edge midway between toe and heel (Figs. 151 and 152). _The inner branch_ is to be fitted snug from the centre of the toe to its end, and its ground-surface should be bevelled from the inner edge of the web to a knife-edge at the outer border. _The outer branch_ is to be fitted very full from the outside toe to the end. This branch should extend well behind the buttress, and in well-marked base-narrow hoofs should be turned outward in order to support the overhanging coronet of the quarter. The outer border should be bevelled base-wide, and the nail-holes punched coarse, _i.e._, far in from the outer border (Figs. 151 and 152). The outer branch may carry a small heel-calk. B. Interfering. A horse “interferes” when a hoof in motion strikes the opposite supporting leg. Interfering is apt to produce injuries, either of the coronary band of the inner half of the foot or of the fetlock-joint, or (in fore-limbs) of the cannon, even as high up as the knee. Lameness frequently accompanies such injuries.