SHOEING. 159 



Havino" taken a view of the kinds of 

 feet that constantly pass through the hands 

 of the Smith in his daily practice ; and 

 knowing the various states and forms in 

 which they become subject to his inspec- 

 tion, it is absohitely impossible in all that 

 ever has been written, or can be advanced, to 

 lay down certain and invariable rules for the 

 exact management of this, or the direct 

 treatment of that particular foot, without a 

 conditional reference to the judicious eye 

 or discretional hand of the Owner or 

 Operator. It must prove palpably clear 

 to every enlightened inquirer, that no opinion 

 or directions strictly infallible can be commu- 

 nicated through the medium of the press, ap- 

 plicable to every particular purpose, without 

 proportional contribution from the judgment 

 of the parties concerned, to give the ground- 

 work of conditional information its proper 

 effect. 



Such instructions, however accurately de- 

 scribed, must unavoidably remain subject to 

 contingent deviations, regulated entirely by 

 the state of the foot and circumstances of the 



