SHORTENING THE SHOE. 137 



employed, it is always easy to cut away a piece from 

 the heels at each time of renewal, so that in three 

 months or so nothing will be used except the four- 

 inch tip. No matter how much a hoof may have 

 been mangled by ignorant men, it will at the end 

 of that time have regained nearly all its original 

 form. 



I am aware that in one of our cavalry regiments 

 the Charlier shoe was tried and failed, on account of 

 the shoes breaking. But the shoes were far too 

 large, coming back as far as the heels, and of course 

 being liable to twisting and breaking. Had they 

 been four-inch tips, a very different result would 

 have been obtained. Moreover, it is clear that the 

 farriers were not desirous to have a shoe which they 

 did not understand. 



WE are now brought face to face with another 

 development of the subject. It has been shown that 

 the horse's hoof, when untouched by man, is one of 

 the most perfect and elaborate pieces of animal 

 mechanism in the world. Common sense ought to 

 tell us that when man meddles with Nature he always 

 muddles, and that with the best intentions in the 

 world he deliberately sets himself to undo Nature's 

 work. 



In nothing does man seem to revel in his opposi- 



