103a SCIExNTIFlC HORSESHOEING. 



Practical Balance of the Foot and Leg. — The principal 

 points demanded in the training and development of a perfect 

 and sound horse are, for a driving horse speed and endurance, 

 and for a draught horse, strength and endurance. How can 

 the utmost speed or greatest strength with endurance be best 

 attained ? These are the ends aimed at by the skillful and ex- 

 perienced farrier, and after the practical experience of a lifetime 

 extending beyond the allotted years of man, I am ready from 

 that practical experience, and from my observation of the prac- 

 tical experience of others, to give to the world what measure 

 of practical knowledge has come to me in the way of the devel- 

 opment of speed, or strength, with endurance, of the highest 

 class in the horse. 



In the first place, it is undeniable that the whole value of a 

 horse depends primarily and always upon the soundness of the 

 feet and legs; and in the second place, upon the skill, compe- 

 tency, and good, practical judgment of the farrier. The most 

 important thing the farrier should know is that the more equal- 

 ity of pressure obtained at all points of the feet and legs, at 

 each footfall, the greater will be the speed, or the more effective 

 the strength, with endurance, attained — and this stands to 

 reason. There are three very essential points which he should 

 bear in mind to attain to these desiderata. First, the farrier 

 should know how to obtain accurately the natural angle of the 

 foot — that is to say, he should know when to cut and where to 

 stop cutting. Such a man is master of his trade. For any 

 damage to a horse from a neglect or ignorance in this particular 

 can only be repaired by time, which means loss of money to the 

 owner, if not lasting injury or death even to the horse. The 

 proper preparation of the horse's foot for the shoe is there- 

 fore of paramount importance in farriery. The horse's hoof 

 corresponds to the human finger nail, and a perfect knowledge 

 of the hoof can only be obtained by dissection ; and it is much 

 more humane to acquire that knowledge by operating upon the 



