him to serre a long apprenticeship, and cannot be fully tm- 

 derstood without a practical teaching and experience of five 

 or Siven years. There are horse-shoers who thoroughly under- 

 stand their profession, and I recognize them as one of the 

 greatest body of men that we have to-day in any profession 

 There are rates upon shoeing that is being done at the present tim^ 

 by irresponsible parties, unskilled workmen, at the low rate of 

 seventy-five cents for shoeing a horse all around. Now it is im- 

 possible for any blacksmith to shoe a horse and do his work in a 

 scientific manner for less than $2, and from that to $3, per horse. 

 It will be a great satisfaction to me, and I believe to the mil- 

 lions of horse owners, if a law should be passed in every State 

 throughout America prohibiting a man from shoeing a horse 

 or driving a nail into a horse's foot until he has served so 

 many years as an apprentice. Then let him go to the capital of 

 the State and there pass an examination that he is a qualified, 

 capable and able horse-shocr, thoroughly understanding his profes- 

 sion. Let him then receive his diploma to show the world that he 

 has gained his profession by hard study and work, and is ready to 

 perform his work in a skillful manner. 



If this should ever become a law, we should soon find out that we 

 have only got a very few practical horse-shoers in the United States. 



I hope that those who read my ideas upon shoeing will hereafter 

 appreciate a good horse-shoer. Do not patronize your cheap mechan- 

 ics, but patronize those who understand their profession. You will 

 then encourage men of good judgment, good common sense, to work 

 hard in order to elevate their profession. 



Question. How should a horse be shod ? 



Answer. Pare the foot perfectly level ; never take any more out 

 at the heel than you do at the toe ; never allow your horse's frog to 

 be cut in any way, shape or form. If there are rags hanging to the 

 frog let them remain there ; never have the bars of your horse's foot 

 cut. Let the horse-shoer cut enough of the sole out of the horse's 

 foot so that the shoe will not rest or press upon the sole, leaviug ^P 

 equal bearing or pressure upon the sole of the horse's foot. 



Have a shoe made that is concave from the third nail hole all thi^ 



