344 ON THL ART OF SHOEING. 



out a difeafe; and laftly, to place the horfe 

 upon a flat and even furface, and, on no pre- 

 tence, to alter his natural pofition, or bearing, 

 upon his heels and frogs, the doing which, not 

 only diminifhes his points of fupport, and in 

 confequence renders his motion unfafe, but oc- 

 cafions the main tendons of the leg, and the 

 frog, to (land without the neceflary reli or bear- 

 ing ; whence an inordinate ftrefs upon the ten- 

 don and ligaments, and the conftant rifk of 

 lamenefs, either in the leg or foot. But the 

 common farriers of every country in Europe 

 (for even in France they are not more im- 

 proved than our own) act. in direct, oppofition 

 to thefe maxims. They affix long, heavy, and 

 hollow iron (hoes to the feet, by which the cruff , 

 or wall, is conflantly worn down and broken, 

 and they themfelves are laid under the neceflity 

 of paring down the fole, which never ought to 

 be done ; for, in confequence, the fole itfelf 

 comes to the need of cover, which is then fup- 

 plied with additional breadth of iron. The 

 frog they pare down every time of (hoeing, 

 left it mould touch the ground, and, as an ad- 

 ditional help, make the {hoes thickeft at heel, 

 by which means the horfe is thrown too much 

 upon the toe, and ftands in a ticklifh and un- 

 natural pofition. To crown the whole bufinefs, 

 and to prove beyond a doubt, the unconquer- 

 able (lability of the animal, they fet him upon 



a convex 



