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The Cotmtry Gentle^nan's Magazine 



was observed, then foot shackles — ippopedes 

 — were used, and being bound over the 

 fetlocks and pasterns by thongs, consider- 

 able inconvenience was caused thereby. Later 

 the sandals were plated with iron beneath, 

 and even on state occasions, profuse orna- 

 mentation was resorted to. 



After the lapse of a few centuries, skilled 

 artificers acquired the art of repairing breaches 

 in the hoof by letting in pieces of iron over 

 the seat of fracture only, and this led, sub- 

 sequently, to the application of a defence to 

 the whole of the foot, which became a com- 

 mon practice, in order, as we have already 

 said, to prenejit damage to the hoof. Mean- 

 while, every endeavour was made to preserve 

 hard and firm hoofs, which qualities were 

 held to be highly indispensable to every 

 horse. There were no rasps, chopping 

 knives, and buttresses, as now, to mutilate 

 and reduce the hoof, but only as much of the 

 outer edge afid toe was taken off as was 

 necessary for the preservation of a proper 

 length and form. 



At length the use of a shoe became 

 general, and the form was that of a flat plate 

 of iron, in outer circumference corresponding 

 to the contour of the hoof, and when nailed 

 on, received pressure from all parts of the 

 foot alike, in fact, as so shod, it was subject 

 to the same general pressure as if it had been 

 shoeless. This practice being continued for 

 some time, it was observed that the hoofs, 

 no longer subject to thewear of the roads, grew 

 inordinately long, and lameness resulted. The 

 previous practice of trimming the hoof would 

 not now answer, and in reducing such large 

 growths, the ferrier, or farrier, as we now 

 call the shoeing-smith, was as likely to run 

 into the wrong direction as the right. Their 

 knowledge of form and function was deficient 

 and imperfect, and thus barbarity was pro- 

 moted. 



To obviate the difficulty, the web or rim 

 shoe became common, and contemporaneous 

 Avith it, knives, rasps, &c., to reduce the hoof, 

 and for years men turned their attention to 

 the principles and practice of paring, which 

 in many instances went as far as to produce 

 actual bleeding. Thus reduced, to prevent 



over-growth, the veterinarians observed that 

 the hoof gave evidences of elasticity. When 

 placed on the ground and the animal's weight 

 was gradually imposed by taking up the 

 opposite foot, considerable descent of the 

 frog and spreading of the heels were noticed, 

 and from that moment there burst upon the 

 world a flood of information concerning alter- 

 nate expansion and contraction, which has 

 ruined more horses through their feet than 

 any one not conversant with the facts would 

 be inclined to suppose. The results of im- 

 perfect observation, made at a time when the 

 hoof was reduced to an abnormal condition, 

 because made by men who stood " high" at 

 the time, were accepted as verity and swallowed 

 without hesitation by owner as well as the 

 groom and smith ; and to this day we hear in 

 the shoeing forge of veterinarians, who ought 

 to know better, and within a very recent 

 period we heard from the lips of a professor 

 at a veterinary school so much twaddle about 

 alternate expansion and contraction, that we 

 have no need to look for any other cause for 

 bad shoeing and hoof mutilation, nor in any 

 other establishments than in those where the 

 absurd dogma is treasured and taught. In 

 the natural hoof, preserved as Nature 

 originally designed it, all parts are capable 

 of receiving pressure, and neither expansion, 

 contraction, or descent is apparent. Sucli 

 phenomena are unnatural to the hoof, and 

 as hurtful, as they may well be, for who but 

 a false observer would suppose that motion, 

 without hurtful friction or even rupture, could 

 possibly be tolerated between sensible and 

 insensible structures, particularly when eacli 

 are so closely attached to prevent motion. In 

 all parts where movement or separation of 

 parts is required, special provision is made, 

 and lubricating organs are called into action ; 

 but in those parts of the foot where the 

 advocates of the expansion and contraction 

 theory locate their fancied motions no such 

 provision is apparent; but we find as a result 

 of the infliction by knife, rasp, and other 

 instruments, every disease to which the foot 

 can be liable. The hoof is sacrificed, its 

 functions are perverted, and the horse in the 

 end totally ruined. 



