80 THE HORSE. 



from side to side is preserved, the nail-holes on each 

 side are brought nearer to the centre of the shoe than 

 they ought to be. As a necessary result, the shoe, at 

 the front nail-holes, is too narrow for the hoof, and, 

 when it is nailed on, the crust presses injuriously on 

 the internal sensible parts of the foot. 



It is difficult to convince smiths of the possibility of 

 laming a horse, by having the shoe too narrow in front. 

 They generally think the whole difficulty lies about the 

 heel. I once had a horse with small feet. He usually 

 went very tender. When I complained to the smith 

 that the shoes were not sufficiently wide across the 

 front nails, and that they were di'iven and clenched a 

 great deal too tight on the foot, he merely laughed at 

 the matter as being visionary. He would not be per- 

 suaded that this was the cause of lameness. He always 

 insisted that the legs must be at fault. From this 

 opinion I begged to dissent. I thought the complaint 

 must be in the feet, as there was no possible trace of dis- 

 ease in the legs. The smith's opinion, however, could not 

 be changed, and, right or wrong, he followed his own 

 plan of shoeing. The horse at length became so use- 

 less, that I was going to sell him for whatever he 

 would bring. About this period, I fortunately had a 

 conversation with a smith who entirely coincided in my 

 own views. He asked me to give him one trial with the 

 horse. I did so, and accompanied him to the forge. 

 I saw the operation of shoeing performed, and ap- 



