ON THE ART OF SHOEING. 361 



of proprietors. It is well known, and indeed 

 every day feen, that the miferable animals, 

 flinching under the torture inflicled by thefe 

 Vulcans, are cruelly beat about the head and 

 body with their mafly hammers. There is alfo 

 a grofs abufe in the affair of twitching ; when a 

 horfe is twitched to excefs, the mark is over (hot, 

 and the intention of thereby holding a horfe in a 

 quiet Hate is deftroyed. I once faw a mare ii> 

 foal twitched to ;uch excefs, by a ftupid, heavy- 

 handed fellow, that her lip burfl afunder, and 

 the mare threw herfelf upon the ground in a 

 ftate of defperation, and would not rife until 

 the cord was loofened. 



It is here neceffary to give the reader a cau* 

 tion againfl the too ufual error of precipitate 

 meafures of improvement. A gentleman finds 

 his horfe conftantly tender-footed, flinching 

 and Humbling. The farrier is applied to, he 

 makes great promifes, and every (hoeing the 

 horfe goes worfe. The owner now, with his 

 favourite author in his hand, takes up the foot 

 of his horfe, and perceives with indignation 

 that he is fhod right wrong, in the very teeth 

 of orthodoxy. The farrier is again fent for, 

 and damn'd for a thick-headed fon of a bitch, 

 not worthy to (hoe Balaam's afs ; and, in fine, or- 

 dered, at his peril, to fhoe immediately and 

 ftrict.ly according to the given pattern. The 

 fellow (hakes his wife noddle, grins, and makes 



his 



