214 APPENDICES. 



your horses to them, and make them follow out your 

 directions through thick and thin ; it is the only way. 



ABERLORNA. 



APPENDIX D. 



Horse- Shoeing . 



SIR, In answer to 'Free Lance,' my reply is that I 

 used a chisel and mallet in preference to a knife, because 

 with the latter it would have been a laborious job, owing 

 to the extreme toughness of the horn. I never saw an 

 ordinary horse's hoof in this country so hard, because I 

 suppose they are all shod. I regret I never compared the 

 hoof of a shod horse with that of an unshod one in 

 South America, as it would have been interesting to note 

 what difference there was in the toughness. 



Regarding the causeways, these were as rough as 

 could be stones of all descriptions and sizes laid up end- 

 ways, as one sees in this country, but very roughly done 

 and full of hollows, &c. I often wondered at the work 

 these little horses went through, living almost entirely 

 on grass and a little molasses mixed with their water, 

 which they would refuse to drink without. These horses 

 journey 400 miles or so with heavy bags of cotton and 

 sugar slung on their backs to the coast, and make the 

 return journey home laden as heavily with salt codfish 

 and other provisions ; yet how rare it is to see them 

 either lame or footsore ! 



I am not quite sure that in this climate of ours a 

 horse's foot will become as hard, owing to the damp ; but 

 this I hope soon to find out to my satisfaction. All I 

 have to say now is, let any one who has taken the trouble 



