SHOEING. 165 



raising all the fore part of the foot, with 

 ""' the half-moon shoe, set on to the middle 

 of the hoof," not onlj^ forming an irregular" 

 and preternatural surface, but (by a want of 

 length and support of the heel) constituting 

 an unavoidable chance of relaxing the sinews 

 in the perpetual probability of their being 

 extended beyond tl^e elastic jwzver prescribed 

 by nature. 



This difference of opinion becomes so im-^ 

 mediately connected with a particular passage 

 in my former volume upon the subject of 

 '* strains/' that it is absolutely necessary to 

 quote a few lines for the better comprehen- 

 sion of the case beibre us; for I have there 

 said, '' To render this idea so clear that it 

 cannot be misunderstood, let us suppose 

 that a horse is going at his rate, and m so 

 doing his toe covers a prominence, or the 

 edge of one, where the heel has no support, 

 it consequently extends the tendons beyond 

 the distance afforded by nature, and instantly 

 continues what is called a letting down of the 

 back sinews/' a circumstance that con- 

 stantly happens upon the turf in running 



