104 PEACTICAL HORSESHOEING. 



journey with ease and without risk of falling down; hut 

 they are far from "being economical to those whose carriages 

 and wagons traverse them. A portion of the horse's mo- 

 tive power is devoted to maintaining his foothold, and the 

 fear induced by this insecurity operates against what re- 

 mains being applied as profitably as it ought to be. So 

 that less is gained in the economy of construction and du- 

 rability, and in the easier traction of vehicles, than is lost 

 in the injury done to the horse's extremities, and the 

 waste of power required to maintain the equilibrium. 



Even more injurious to feet and limbs is the barba- 

 rous, slovenly, and stupid method prevailing in this coun- 

 try of repairing macadamized roads — or what are intended 

 for them — by depositing a heap of angular stones in a 

 loose, rugged layer of uncertain depth, and compelling 

 horses and carriages to travel over them until they are 

 imbedded in a very irregular manner in the soil beneath 

 them. Such a practice is hot only extremely short-sight- 

 ed on the part of those who make or repair roads in this 

 manner — as these roads can neither be durable nor very 

 serviceable — but also deserves the severest censure as 

 most cruel and destructive to horses. Not only is the 

 labor in drawing a carriage over such a surface immense- 

 ly increased, and the horse's strength thereby expended, 

 but the unstable footing afforded by the loose masses 

 of stone throws a great strain in every direction upon 

 the' legs and feet, and not unfrequently the animal is 

 thrown down and gets seriously injured or blemished for 

 life. 



If the hoofs chance to be pared and rasped according 

 to the groom or farrier's " improved principles," then the 

 consequences are greatly aggravated. 



Legislation should be appealed to, to put an end to 

 such a disgraceful method of road making or mending, 

 which is only worthy of the most uncivilized country. 



