DEDICATION. Vll 



are ; and in doing this, I have not been so 

 desirous of displaying novelties of practice, as 

 of bringing forwards what is of most utility. 

 Hence it may seem, that in some instances, 

 I have borrowed ideas from other writers ; 

 and this may be true, without my being 

 conscious of it; as many of these ideas have 

 taken root in my mind so deeply, as to ren- 

 der it impossible for me to distinguish such 

 as were started by others, and have been 

 confirmed or denied by my own experience, 

 from such as have arisen from my own prac- 

 tice alone. 



Whilst investigating the principles of 

 Shoeing, I became aware, that although I 

 might ascertain what shape or construction 

 of shoe was best adapted for general use, it 

 was indispensably necessary, at the same 

 time, in order to its being generally intro- 

 duced, that it should be in the power of the 

 most indifferent workman to forge it, at 

 least as easily as one of the most inartificial 

 form. For if much skill was required to 



