THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 265 



opposition offered by ignorant grooms and farriers, who 

 were incompetent to understand any thing but the mere 

 every-day routine of the rapidly-degenerating art ; and 

 the prejudice of those amateur horsemen, who, though 

 the last perhaps to take upon trust statements relative 

 to other matters, would yet believe every thing told 

 them by these horse attendants and shoers. The far- 

 riers of Paris, indeed, unanimously protested against the 

 innovation two years after Lafosse had published his 

 treatise ; and their protest appears to have carried the 

 mind of the crowd." 



I presume that the same experience will be met in 

 case of those authors, who, like myself, seek to bring 

 forward these wise and salutary principles in farriery. 

 I fear that popular ignorance, stupidity, and wilfulness 

 will resist the introduction of all improvement in this 

 matter; and, for a while longer, man and horse will 

 continue to suffer. I am inclined, in this connection, to 

 quote from W. Osmer's '^ Treatise on the Diseases and 

 Lameness of Horses" (London, 1776). After warning 

 farriers not to remove any thing more of the crust or 

 wall of the hoof than is absolutely necessary, he says, — 



'' Li all broad, fleshy feet, the crust is thin, and 

 should, therefore, suffer the least possible loss. On such 

 feet the rasp alone is generally sufficient to make the 

 bottom plain, and produce a sound foundation, ivitli' 

 out the use of the desperate buttress. . . . 



'' The superficies of the foot round the outside now 

 made plain and smooth, the shoe is to be made quite 



