C 30 J 



weight becomes more than usually thrown upon 

 it. And by the heels being in effect made thus 

 low, the skin is often brought against the ground 

 and bruised. And here it must be remarked, that 

 it is extremely difficult to restore to feet the proper 

 direction and depth of their heels, when they 

 have once become low and sloping. 



One of the most specious reasons for having 

 the toe thick, arises out of the fact of the wear 

 being generally greater there than in any other 

 part of the shoe ; but surely it cannot be sound 

 economy, that the true tread of the horse's foot 

 should be destroyed, and that the hind tendons 

 of the leg should be subject to perpetual risk of 

 being strained, for the purpose of saving the 

 price of one or two sets of shoes in a year, even 

 if there existed no other less dangerous expedient 

 which might answer the same end. 



Experience, however, the surest guide in prac- 

 tical matters, seems to have established as a ge- 

 neral rule, that it is more advantageous to the 

 tread of man, that his shoe should be at least as 

 thick at the heel as at the toe ; and -a shoe-maker 

 would materially risk the displeasure of his cus- 

 tomers, were he, with a view to increase the 

 size of the calf of the leg, or to prevent the toe 

 from wearing out, to make no other shoes than 



