IMPROVED. 549 



Lard or any other Greafe (which is ilill the fame, 

 as I have fhcwn in iome of the preceding Chr.pters) 

 and Stuffing every Night with foft Cow's Dung, is 

 the beil Method to eale a beaten Foot. And if now 

 and then you order a little Print of freih Butter to 

 be put upon the Sole of the Foe t, and lay the Cow- 

 Dung uppermoil, it will ftill make the Horfe travel 

 with more Eafc to himiclf and Safety to the Rider ; 

 for he v/ill not, v/hen his Feet are eafed, be fo apt to 

 fnapper and llumble. And I have obferved, that 

 thefe Kind of tender-footed Horfes are worll when 

 they are new ihod j for 'tis either the Beats of the 

 Hammer, or the Shoe that is not yet fettled to their 

 thin and tender Soles, that makes them tread like a 

 Cat upon a hot Backjlone, as we ufe to fay in the 

 North : But when the Shoes are fettled to the Feet, 

 thefe Horfes will (fomeof them) make a tolerable 

 Shew in a Dealer's Hand, if he is fo wife as to keep 

 the Spur on the Side, and the Horfe on foft Ground. 

 But Icall I fhould be thought to teach them more 

 Cunning than they have already, (tho' they moitly 

 have Occafion for it, feeing all Eyes are upon them ) 

 I mull proceed ; only, before I leave the Subject of 

 beaten or farbated Feet, let me warn the Reader of 

 one common Trick which the Dealers ufe when they 

 happen to have a Horfe that's tender-footed, f'Z'i:>:.) 

 they always fliew you thefe Horfes in v/ore-out bad 

 Shoes, and pretend that when he's (hod he'il go 

 found and clever. But it is a Miftake, as I have 

 now hinted ; for if he be lame in Shoes that are 

 fettled to his Feet, I am fure he will be fo in new 

 ones in a much greater Degree than we ourfelves are 

 in new Shoes ; otherwife from whence the Proverb, . 

 as eafy as my old Shoe. But while a Korfe is young 

 and mettlefome he fcorns to yield to or fncv/ the 

 growing Infirmity. In like Manner as v/e ourfelves, 

 v.hen Boys, could tread upon harder Grounds, and 

 v.'ear more pinching Shoes than we can at prefcnt. 

 Therefore, 1 fay , it is of the utmoft Confequence to •■ 

 examine well the Make of the Hoof when you de-' 



