THE SHOE. 59 



perfectly plane, and not relieved throughout its length or 

 width by any thing, except perhaps the groove around 

 its outer circumference, in which the nail holes are placed. 

 This wide smooth surface is evidently adapted to facilitate 

 slipping on smooth pavements, or even on grass or clay 

 land. 



Size, — Besides constructing the shoe of a faulty shape, 

 a very common practice is to apply one smaller than the 

 actual contour of the ground-surface of the hoof. This 

 is a grave error, and in all probability arises from the 

 desire to make the horse's foot look neat, and to produce 

 fine work ; just as the maker of shoes for the human foot 

 thinks it the perfection of workmanship to squeeze it into 

 the smallest possible space. In the horse, however, small 

 shoes are more fruitful of lameness and chronic deformity 

 than even the worst-shaped cramped coverings can be for 

 the human organ, as the horse is compelled to wear his 

 tight plates day and night, and must accomplish all kinds 

 of severe labor in them ; while man can relieve himself of 

 his torturing uncomfortable boots for at least some hours 

 out of the twenty-four. 



We shall allude to the evils of this stupid practice 

 hereafter ; in the mean time, it may be sufficient to point 

 out, that in selecting and applying a shoe smaller than 

 the circumference of the hoof, we are depriving the foot 

 and limb of a portion of their stability and weight-bear- 

 ing surface. The limb is, in reality, a column of support 

 for the body, and the hoof is the base of this column. 

 This base is very much wider than any other portion, and 

 only commences at the foot, which gradually widens tow- 

 ard the ground, so as to make it still more expanded and 

 efficient. To diminish this is to frustrate Nature's mode 

 of affording security and ease to the limb, and conse- 

 quently to do it harm. 



The above are only some of the more prominent evils 



