STREETS AND ROADS. 103 



STREETS AND ROADS. 



The roads over which horses travel have also much 

 influence for good or evil on the condition of the feet and 

 legs. In the majority of the towns and cities in Great 

 Britain, it would most certainly appear that considerations 

 for the safety, comfort, or efficiency of the thousands of 

 horses in daily use were altogether lost sight of or neg- 

 lected in constructing the public thoroughfares. 



Masses of the hardest and closest-grained stone are 

 laid down in most streets in such a fashion, that they seem 

 as if purposely designed to afford an insecure foothold, 

 and prevent the horse's strength being profitably utilized. 

 These paved streets — always a source of danger to the 

 animals — while hindering them from employing their 

 force to the best advantage, are also particularly injurious 

 to the legs and feet, from the incessant efforts made to 

 maintain a footing. More especially is this the case in 

 wet weather, when they are covered with greasy mud, 

 and in summer when their dry smooth surface becomes 

 leaded. It is needless to say, that no kind of metal de- 

 fence to the hoof will for many days insure a firm foot- 

 hold on such roads ; and nothing but a metal defence has 

 ever been found suitable to the horse's foot. 



Every device has been tried to meet the demands for 

 travelling with safety on such paved streets, and none 

 have proved successful. Nor is it at all likely that future 

 inventions will meet these demands ; the basaltic or gra- 

 nitic surface, perfectly smooth, and offering a most insecure 

 surface for fixing the foot during movement, -is not at all 

 adapted for horse traffic. 



From the durability of these roads, they may be, to 

 those who have to pay for their construction and mainte- 

 nance, more economical than others on which horses can 



