THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 26& 



When this happens, it should be cut away with a knife, 

 to prevent the gravel lodging therein; but, if it be 

 left to the artist to do, he will be sure to take away- 

 more of it at one time than will grow again in many 

 weeks." 



Some twenty years after Osmer published his protest 

 against treating the horse's foot as if it were a block 

 of wood on which a man could hack and hew and cut 

 away at pleasure, Mr. J. Clark published a treatise 

 upon farriery, in which he says, — 



"However necessary it has been found to fix iron 

 shoes upon the hoofs of horses, it is certainly contrary 

 to the original design of shoeing them, first to destroy 

 their hoofs by paring, &c., and afterwards to put on the 

 foot a broad, strong shoe to protect what remains, or 

 rather to supply the defect or want of that substance 

 which has been taken away. Yet, however absurd this 

 manner of treating the feet of horses may appear, it is 

 well known that it has been carried to a very great 

 length, and still continues to be thought absolutely 

 necessary. The destruction of their hoofs, and many 

 other bad consequences arising from it, are every day 

 but too apparent." 



And also this, which might be regarded as descrip- 

 tive of the state of things : — 



"But no apology whatever can vindicate that per- 

 nicious practice of cutting and paring their hoofs to that 

 excess which is but too frequently done every time a 

 horse is shoed, and, in order to repair the injury done to 



