COMMON UNSOUNDNESSES. 



171 



extent he is capable of, the extra tension produces 

 the breakdown. This might I think in many cases 

 be avoided bj having small short spikes attached to 

 his shoes, similar to those worn in the soles of their 

 shoes by cricketers, pedestrians, and others. If the 

 racing shoes were made with two small holes near 

 the heel, and one or two near the toe, the spikes 

 could be screwed or hammered in immediately before 

 the race, and removed after it, by unscrewing or by 

 a tap with a hammer, in order to enable the horse 

 to travel comf ortablv on the road. Such an arrano-e- 

 ment would prevent a horse's shoe 

 from slijDping on the ground, how- 

 ever hard and smooth it was, 

 and might be the means of pre- 

 venting many accidents which 

 would otherwise happen. 



Fig. 26. 



Fig. Ti 



I have drawn a picture of the shoe, and the spike 

 I should propose to insert. The spike bein^^- the 



