168 HORSE AND MAN. 



The weight of the horse was necessarily taken off 

 the hoof when the cast was made. Had the opposite 

 foot been lifted from the ground, so that the animal 

 would have been obliged to rest upon the hoof, these 

 dimensions would have been slightly altered. 



I have exhibited this cast in most of the large 

 cities and towns of this country, as well as in Ame- 

 rica, and in every case it has excited the greatest 

 interest. The most remarkable point about it is 

 the manner in which the under surface is filled up, 

 the only cavity being that on either side of the frog 

 there is a depression scarcely large enough to con- 

 tain the last two joints of a lady's little finger. 



Wishing to know whether in the autumn of 1884 

 ; Stella ' was still in the possession of hoofs as sound 

 as those of 1882, and still did the same amount of 

 hard work, I wrote to Mr. Whitmore Baker, and re- 

 ceived the following answer : 



' I have the satisfaction of stating that my mare 

 " Stella's " hoofs continue in the most perfect condition, 

 and I shall be most happy if I can assist you. Devon- 

 shire may be an exceptional county (at least I hope 

 so), for though my mare is known far and wide to 

 travel shoeless, still, nothing further is said than, " It 

 is wonderful ! " and " ' Stella ' is one of a million." 



' I have offered to take any horse sent to me, and to 

 prepare the hoofs without any fee, simply the expense 



