100 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



interior sides of the shoe by the tendency of the felt to 

 expand itself. Let one or two thicknesses of leather, of the 

 same breadth as the interior opening of the shoe — that is, of 

 less breadth than the pad — be attached to the pad by being 

 sewed down the middle only ; so as to allow the felt to be bent 

 and compressed to place it in the foot. The leather should 

 protrude beyond the shoe about one-eighth of an inch. By this 

 a bearing will be got on the whole internal part of the foot, as 

 well as on the shoe ; at the same time that the pad will be 

 prevented from coming in contact with any moisture. I 

 think it essential that this internal support of the foot should 

 be dry ; for though it is true that horses at large in moist 

 pastures have invariably open heels, I attribute this not to 

 the moisture directly, but to the softness of the tread result- 

 ing from the moisture, and consequently to the perfect sup- 

 port and pressure on the whole interior part of the foot. It 

 is equally certain that horses on such ground have invariably 

 diseased frogs and thrushes. To cure this, I believe with 



