BECRETARY'B llEPORT. 161 



Fig. 18. • 



FiGUEE 18 — Gives an idea of the French form of shoe, spoken 

 of at pages 142-3. The pattern from which the cut is taken is a shoe 

 for light riding, hut can be easily adapted to any kind of work. The 

 cut represents the upper or sole side, the deep shading at the toe, 

 and the light below it, showing the manner in which the whole of 

 that part is turned up to a right angle with the slope of the front 

 of the foot, the better to resist its concussion and forward action. For 

 horses weak in the back tendons, or inclined to bend at the knees, 

 or stumble, it is an excellent shoe to enable them to do their work 

 with greater ease and safety ; and if sanative with them, why should 

 it not be prophylactic to those that are sound. 



It would be easy to multiply these illustrations to any extent, 

 either from faulty shoes taken from feet in which they had caused 

 lameness of one kind or another, or of varieties of improved ones 

 that have been put forward from time to time in Britain, during the 

 struggle that has been going on for the last fifty years for superi- 

 ority. But it is not required. Enough has been shown to prove 

 the need there was for a reform in the art in this country, and the 

 need once shown, an important step is gained towards reform. To 

 the scientific inquirer I would only say that the subject is far from 

 being exhausted, my aim having been to confine myself to points 

 plain and obvious, and to errors common and glaring. Could our 

 horse-shoers generally be brought up to the standing I have indi- 

 cated, it would then be time to introduce inquiries of more strictly 

 Bcientific interest. But we must not attempt nor expect too much 

 at once, nor on the other hand give up hope, although reforms are 

 but unwillingly adopted. Here in St. John, since the preceding 

 views were given to the public a few years ago, a most material 

 change and improvement in the general mode of shoeing has taken 

 place, so much so, that some of our shoeing smiths would hardly 



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