104 HORSES AND ROADS. 



foot is almost impenetrable, and so hard and strong 

 that it protects the inner or sensible sole from all 

 harm. In many instances (though I am glad to say 

 not so much in the present time as formerly) farriers 

 were in the habit of paring away the natural sole, 

 and making what they called " a clean foot," and 

 cut so thiri that the thumb could almost leave an 

 impression. Consequently, when the horse was 

 required to go over a new made road, either gravel 

 or macadam, he would naturally go " tender ; " 

 whereas if the sole had been left intact, and the 

 loose, rough parts taken off with the drawing knife, 

 the sole of the horse's foot would have been pro- 

 tected.' It is disagreeable, and will be thought pre- 

 sumptuous, for the writer to feel himself obliged to 

 differ from the colonel, and to state that experience 

 has taught him that even these loose, rough flakes, 

 of either frog or sole, should never be touched : they 

 are going through the natural process of exfoliation, 

 and should be left to complete that process spon- 

 taneously, and without any help from the knife. 



We must again cite this estimable writer : ' The 

 crust of the hoof is pared to a certain level, and 

 then a hot shoe is placed upon it to burn away the 

 hoof until the two surfaces correspond, thereby 

 heating the outer (?) crust of the hoof and render- 

 ing it brittle, and liable to break away, when the 

 nails are introduced for the purpose of holding on 

 the shoe. There is another thing most injurious to 

 the foot, and that is blacking the outside of the 

 hoof. Grenerally speaking, grease and lampblack are 



