554 ART OF SHOEING. 



shoe would have been excessively heavy and clumsy, if the 

 same substance had been maintained over the web to the 

 inner margin, and, to obviate this inconvenience, the work- 

 man drew away the iron from the inside thinned the web 

 from the outer to the inner margin. 



The custom so far established, became more elaborated. 

 Our smiths were able men at forging iron ; their shoes in 

 due time were bevelled out, and hammered up more cleanly; 

 and so far as we have been able to learn, this state of things 

 went on improving, and was not materially disturbed until 

 late in the last century. The establishment of veterinary 

 colleges in France, and the success with which our neigh- 

 bours had long prosecuted the art of shoeing, led some men 

 of our own country to direct attention there for improve- 

 ment. 



Towards the end of the last century, the first English 

 veterinary college having then been recently established at 

 London, the merits of continental shoeing became more than 

 usually canvassed, comparisons were made between the 

 most approved systems which had long been successfully 

 adopted by our neighbours, and the customary practice 

 which prevailed in the United Kingdom. 



The most noticeable difference between all foreign horse- 

 shoes and those of British make, consisted in the foreign 

 workmen using the stamp only to make their nail-holes, 

 whilst we in England fullered our shoes, formed a crease, or 

 drew a line for guidance, into which the* nail-holes were 

 stamped. Wherever we have found the fullered or creased 

 shoe in use on the Continent, as exceptional to the ordinary 

 method, it was and is still distinguished by its being called 

 the English shoe " Fer Anglais." 



It will be, for time to come, regarded by men who devote 

 themselves to the subject, as a most unfortunate circum- 



