Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1871 — Clicking. [ARTICLE]

Clicking.

Many horses have the very unpleasant habit of striking the toes of the hind shoes against the fore shoes. Most horsemen will agree that it is a fault belonging to some of the best, as well as the worst. It more frequently occurs with young horses, and they often click on the turf or soft ground, and not on the road. It arises ifrom the too great activity or length of stride of the hind legs; the fore feet are unable to get out of the way in time; therefore, anything which detains them, such as a soft or heavy soil, must assist the practice. The principal point to be remedied is the intolerable noise, from which the evil derives its name, and this is often effected by making the’hind shoes square at the toe, and leaving the toe. of the crust somewhat projecting over the shoe, by which plan the crust receives the blow, instead of the shoe, anil docs not make any noise. It sometimes happens that, from the repetition of these blows, tho crust is worn so thin at the toe as to produce or threaten lameness, in which case the plan of shoeing mentioned must be desisted from, and we must put up with the noise to avoid the greater tvil. When a square toed shoe fails in preventing clicking, it sometimes happens that a shoe pointed at the toe will succeed, which no doubt arises from the circumstance of the shoe, having so small a surface to come in contact with, it may fail to strike the fore shoe, but may go within, or by the side of it.— Eichtnge.