WALKING IN PATTENS. 117 



troubled himself to make them exactly of the same 

 height. 



I never shall forget the first sight of these astound- 

 ing shoes. To be able to see under the feet of a horse 

 was an unknown experience, and in this instance the 

 effect was heightened by the rays of the setting sun, 

 w r hich produced the most curious combinations of 

 light and shade as the horses raised or set down their 

 feet. 



Lieut. Douglas, in his usual incisive style, is very 

 emphatic in the condemnation of these shoes and 

 of calks altogether. After describing the sufferings 

 of London horses whenever the road is hilly and 

 happens to be slippery from any cause, he proceeds 

 as follows : 



c It is even worse in Lancashire and other parts 

 of the North of England, where horses are propped 

 up, as it were, on short stilts, having calks both at 

 toes and heels. 



'Without taking into consideration the extra 

 weight which the horse has to carry, everyone can 

 imagine how insecure the animal must feel when 

 walking in these tripods. We can easily fancy how 

 we ourselves should feel if compelled always to walk 

 about in pattens ; and yet I doubt whether we should 

 feel more miserable than these horses do. 



' Some may think that I express my feelings too 



