156 SHOEING. 



ground, admirably adapted to preserve the 

 foot in a growing state of perfection ; the 

 case is exceedingly different, and will bear no 

 parallel with horses of the above description ; 

 nor can I hesitate to believcbut the absolute 

 necessity of substiintially guarding the foot 

 is too well established, by immemorial expe- 

 rience, to be at all shaken by the introduc- 

 tion of any nezv opinions upon that part of 

 the subject. 



I must, to avoid a misconception of my 

 purpose, before I proceed, confess my obli- 

 gation, as an individual, to the memories 

 of those gentlemen who have formerly at- 

 tended to and written upon this head, with 

 a desire to improve it for the promotion of 

 a general good ; and am sorry a total want 

 of passive pliability in my own pen, will not 

 permit me to adhere to the ^^ good old custom'^ 

 of implicitly transmitting to succeeding ge- 

 nerations the immaculate purity of their dic- 

 tations,' without presuming to introduce an 

 opinion of my own. 



*' Learn to do well by others* harm,'" is 

 an axiom of too much excellence to be obli- 



