YOU ATT ON THE WEIGHT OF SHOES. 77 



sole is always concave ; and it might be supposed 

 that it cannot possibly receive any pressure from a 

 flat shoe. But when a horse is exerting himself, 

 either in galloping or drawing burdens, the sudden 

 action of the animal's weight causes the laminae to 

 gradually lengthen, and suffer the coffin bone to 

 press on the sole ; its concavity and elasticity allow 

 it to descend and expand, and that gradual yielding 

 must materially endanger the sole by a violent 

 contact with the shoe, were it made otherwise than 

 hollow.' 



This theory is untenable. The sole cannot in a 

 sound foot descend round the edge. As to the shoe 

 which he recommends for ordinary use, it was cer- 

 tainly recommended a century ago by Osmer ; but 

 Professor Coleman was the first to turn the shoe over, 

 and leave the flat surface against the hoof, and the 

 bevelled, or seated, surface on the ground. And 

 this is the prevailing pattern since then advocated. 

 It is, perhaps, the best of the two ; but neither of 

 them has the claims of the Charlier tip to simplicity, 

 and a near approach to a natural foot. The Charlier 

 shoe, the same as the tip, is only a quarter of an 

 inch in thickness and half an inch in width for a 

 horse of average size, and the full-sized shoe weighs 

 only a third of what an ordinary plain shoe, with- 

 out calks, will weigh ; and this makes eleven or 

 twelve, ounces difference on each foot, if the whole 

 shoe be worn, and more in the case of tips. Youatt 

 tells us that ' an ounce or two in the weight of the 

 shoe will sadly tell before the end of a hard day's 



