ON THE ART OF SHOEING. 367 



for although farriers have more than once pro- 

 pofed it to me, I never would permit it ; but I 

 have made it my bufinefs to enquire for many- 

 years pair, and I have never yet heard of a 

 horfe which was worth nine-pence after it. 



The general directions are, never to pare the 

 fole, frog, or binders, any. more than to cut 

 them level, and ftrip them of rotten and fcaly 

 parts ; but I muff confefs I have feen feet To 

 exceedingly luxuriant in growth, and fo tough, 

 that they would bear, nay perhaps require fome 

 little paring; but the danger to be apprehended 

 from the want of paring, was ever a feather 

 when weighed againfl that of trufting a fmith 

 to perform it at difcretion, buttrefs in hand. — 

 In this cafe, I have generally flood over the 

 operator myfelf, ready to cry out — No more, 

 doctor. The directions, how r ever, do not ex- 

 tend to the cruft or w T all, which in deep, con- 

 cave, hard feet, mull be at any rate taken 

 down, becaufe its growth continually binds and 

 contracts the quarters, dries up the frogs, and 

 prevents their neceffary contact, with the ground. 

 The fize and flrength of the feet, and the fitu- 

 ation of the fro£s, are the belt, meafure for the 

 due performance of this. 



Whenever it becomes abfolutely neceffary to 

 cut the bars or frogs, never fufTer it to be per- 

 formed in the ufual way of blackfmiths, that is 

 to fay, inwards or downwards, one of the molt 



defl.ruct.ive 



