And the same average horse owner is conceited enough to think himself a better judge of a good job of shoeing than the intelligent animal that wears the shoes till his feet feel as though they were full of thistles. A horse's foot is not a thing that can be cut and slashed into all shapes with impunity, but requires careful as well as intelligent treatment. It is a great mistake to suppose that every sound foot should be treated alike. Each foot has its individuality, which must be _recognized_ and _respected_ if good results are to follow shoeing. It is a lamentable fact, and one that cannot be disputed, that most horseshoers have but a faint notion of what is required to shoe a horse properly, even where no defects exist. If he gets pay for the work, he gives himself no trouble to improve on his methods. But with the owner the case is different. The usefulness and value of the horse are largely affected by the condition of the feet, and he must learn to know how his horse ought to be shod, and then see to it that the work is properly executed. We know from personal experience that this is hard to do. The smith must understand that you are in earnest about the matter, and that you are bound to have your orders obeyed. I have found some men very obstinate, and others always ready to do anything that was an improvement on the old way. First decide what kind of labor the horse is expected to perform. If he is expected to go fast, great care and skill will be required to get everything just as it should be, and don't blame the smith for charging extra for extra work. It will often be necessary to make several trials before you find out just what suits the horse best, and don't fail to let the horse be judge in the matter, for when he is suited you ought to be. Place the horse on a smooth, clean floor, and note the set of each foot, and whether it is in line with the limb above it. Cut away the wall of the foot until you come to where it joins the sole; except at the heels and quarter, it may not be quite as low; let the frog and bars remain intact, but see that the shoe will not bear much on the bars. Give the sole about its natural concavity of surface up to the wall, but no further. Place the foot on the floor and see if it is in line with the limb; if not, remove enough horn to make it so. The slant of the front part of the fore foot should, as a rule, be the same as that of the pastern; that of the hind ones a little steeper. Now stand behind the horse while he is made to walk, and see if when the foot approaches the floor both sides come down at the same time so that there is no rocking motion from one side striking first. Disregard the advice of some writers who recommend to have the sole bare on the iron; that theory when put into practice doesn't work worth a cent.