lubricants and keep down any infiammation 

 that might be caused by the work of the spring. 

 You understand that you can force a foot 

 apart with a spring sufficiently to create in- 

 flammation if the foot is not soft and ph'able 

 when you put the spring in. The best time to 

 do this kind of work is in the winter when you 

 are not in the heat and turmoil of a campaign. 

 Begin on feet of this kind soon as you are 

 in winter quarters, and the horse's system has 

 been cooled out. Then, with the aid of springs, 

 pads and blisters, you will be able to gro"w 

 practically a new foot on your racer before you 

 begin training him again in the spring. 



Some people seem to think that a spring- 

 should only be used in a front foot, but this is 

 a mistaken idea. There are plenty of hind feet 

 tliat are greatly benefitted by its use. 



CHAPTER V. 

 Pads, Their Benefits and Abuses. 



The one grand thing about this harness 

 horse industry fs the Targe amount of unadul- 

 terated sentiment that is in it, the genuine love 

 for man's companion, servant and best friend 

 among the dumb animrals. Occasionally we 

 will overhear some old antidiluvian from Hem- 

 lock Woods s-ay, "those fellers oirght 'ter be 

 arrested for drivin^ them thar horses so fast ; 

 it's cruel."" And perliaps the ofd geezer has a 

 team of half-stan-ed. foot-sore pelters hitched 

 outside the grounds in the hot sun to save 3i 

 quarter's admission to' a hitch stable, where 

 they would be comfortable. It is all nonsense^ 



.'14 



