56 PRACTICAL HORSESHOEING. 



the rate of one step every second, or sixty steps a minute. 

 In a minute, then, the limb of a horse whose foot carries 

 two pounds makes efforts sufficient to raise a weight of 

 one hundred and twenty pounds. For the four limbs this 

 weight in a minute is represented by 120X4=480 pounds ; 

 for the four feet during an hour the weight is 28,800 

 pounds ; and for four hours, the mean duration of a day's 

 work in the French omnibuses, the total amount of weight 

 raised lias reached the enormous figure of 115,200 pounds. 

 But the movement communicated to these 115,200 pounds 

 represents an expenditure of the power employed by the 

 motor without any useful result ; and as the motor is a 

 living one, this expenditure of strength represents an ex- 

 haustion, or, if you like it better, a degree of fatigue pro- 

 portioned to the effort necessary for its manifestation." 



This question of weight is one of no small moment to 

 the well-being and utility of the horse, and therefore de- 

 mands particular attention. Nature, in constructing the 

 animal machine and enduing it with adequate power to 

 sustain the ordinary requirements of organization, and 

 even to meet certain extraordinary demands, could scarce- 

 ly have been expected to provide the large additional 

 amount of energy necessary to swing several ounces, or 

 even pounds, attached to the lower extremity of the limb. 

 A horse shod with a two-pound shoe to each foot, travel- 

 ling at the rate of sixty steps in a minute for a period of 

 four hours, as has been stated above, carries nearly fifty- 

 two tons ; this weight, too, as has been stated, is most dis- 

 advantageous^ placed at the end of the long arm of the 

 lever. It must be remembered, also, that a two-pound shoe 

 is a very moderate affair when compared with many that 

 are worn every day in town and country, even by horses 

 employed in fast work 



Not only does an unnecessarily heavy shoe fatigue 

 and wear out the limbs sooner than a light one, but the 



