VICIOUS TO SHOE. 209 



is a lial)it which generally gets worse at each time of saoeing. 

 It is not so much the kicking of the horse that is to be feared, 

 but the animal will bear his whole weight on the foot requiring 

 to be shod, so that the smith is unable to lift it up, or after- 

 ward to support it ; beside which the animal will keep con- 

 tinually kicking or endeavoring to get the foot away, to the 

 imminent danger of the limbs of the unfortunate operative. 

 This deplorable and vicious habit is greatly increased, if not 

 altogether produced, by rough usage at the early shoeings, 

 and it generally gets worse at each time of shoeing, so that 

 the horse is often rendered at last completely worthless. 



It may be expected that there will be some difficulty in 

 shoeing a horse for the first few times, as it is an operation 

 that gives him a little uneasiness. The man to whom he is 

 most accustomed should go with him to the forge ; and if 

 another and steady horse is shod before him, he may be in- 

 duced more readily to submit. It cannot be denied that, after 

 the habit of resisting this necessary operation is formed, force 

 may sometimes be required in order to reduce our rebellious 

 servant to obedience ; but there can be no manner of question 

 that the large majority of horses vicious to shoe are rendered 

 so by harsh usage, and by the pain of correction being added 

 to the uneasiness of shoeing. It should be a rule in every 

 forge, that no smith should be permitted to strike a horse, 

 much less to twitch or gag him, without the master-farrier^s 

 order ; and that a young horse should never be twitched or 

 struck. There are few horses that may not gradually be ren- 

 dered manageable for this purpose by mildness and firmness 

 on the part of the operator ; they will soon understand that no 

 harm is meant, and they will not forget their usual habit ot 

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