io6 Management and Feeding of Heavy Horses 



less blacksmith may ruin good feet. By careful trimming and 

 shoeing a narrow heel may be gradually widened, and a malformed 

 hoof gradually brought into shape. It must be done by degrees, 

 and by frequent application of the knife just a little at a time. 

 The width of heel is such an important point in a heavy horse that 

 a stallion showing any tendency to that deformity would be avoided 

 and neglected. Flat shoes, levelled to the slope of the outside wall 

 of the hoof should be used ; they should be wide at the heels but 

 not very thick and heavy. It is better to change frequently than 

 wear out a very thick and heavy shoe. If the hoof of the stallion 

 is at all inclined to be brittle, it may be greatly improved by a 

 daily smearing of that well-known ointment used years ago by the 

 Paris Omnibus Company for dressing the feet of all their horses. 

 Indeed, if the hoof of the stallion is not apparently in need of it, it 

 is well to use it, as it keeps the hoof sound, and improves the 

 appearance of the feet. It is not a costly ointment, and a pot 

 of it may be made by taking i lb. of mutton fat, i lb. of beeswax, 

 5 pt. of neatsfoot oil, 6 tablespoonfuls of Stockholm tar, and let the 

 ingredients simmer together for a little till they are thoroughly 

 incorporated. When the horse is travelling, the groom would find 

 it convenient if he took a small tin boxful of the ointment in his 

 scrip. 



The feather is a point of great importance in the show ring, 

 especially amongst Shires and Clydesdales; and it should be care- 

 fully looked to when bringing out a stallion for hire or for travelling. 

 Some people would have us believe that hair is not wanted, that 

 the horse is better with as little as possible on his legs, and that 

 the Americans would buy more of our Shire horses if there were 

 not so much hair on their legs. Yet with it all a fringe of nice 

 long silky feather adds greatly to the appearance of the horse, and 

 hiring deputations would immediately consider it a detraction if 

 the horse seemed short of feather. So it is really necessary to see 

 that nothing should be allowed to cause the hair to come off", as 

 once lost it takes a long time to grow again. Some horses are 

 apt to bite it off with their teeth ; of course it is itchiness in the 

 leg that causes them to do so. The itchiness may be caused by 

 heating of the blood through high feeding, or it may be by want 

 of cleanliness in the legs. Frequent use of the comb and brush, 

 and an occasional dressing with an ointment composed of sulphur 

 and paraffin, will be found the most effectual means of cleaning the 

 legs, curing the itchiness, and promoting the growth of the hair. 



