330 UNASKED ADVICE. 



for the hind leg in starting up slippery hills ; and this, 

 with an unpared sole and a tolerably wide shoe, taking a 

 bearing on the crust and the exterior border of the sole 

 (which will stand some pressure if it be left in a state of 

 nature), is about all that can be done for the hind feet. For 

 the fore feet of omnibus horses I cannot but think, if Char- 

 lier shoes or tips be not approved of, that the steel grooved 

 shoes shortened into tips would be useful. They would 

 prevent slipping, and the heels and frogs would be on the 

 ground ; of course the sole would have to be left unpared. 

 Horses accustomed to full shoes will naturally go very 

 short at first in tips ; but they soon get used to them, 

 and recover their action. A sportsman, well known some 

 little time ago in the Shires, shod all his horses with tips 

 hunters, hacks, and carriage horses ; but, although it 

 was seen that his stud went very well shod in this 

 manner, no one followed his example, the world in 

 general being staunch Conservatives, and diametrically 

 opposed to any innovation in stable matters, whatever 

 their opinions may be on other subjects. Apropos of 

 tips, I came upon the following sentence in a chapter 

 devoted to the consideration of " corns," in that remark- 

 ably well-meaning though not wholly satisfactory work, 

 " The Illustrated Horse Doctor" : " Some horses will go 

 sound in tips, which cannot endure any further protec- 

 tion." The moral, so to speak, of this is, that it is the shoe, 

 not the road, that hurts the horse ; for if so weak and 

 tender a foot as is described can go sound when all but 

 unshod, why should not the strong sound one do the same ? 

 The obvious conclusion is, that we require a strong sound 

 foot to stand, not our work, but our shoe ! My idea of 

 the way to keep horses' feet sound is this : " let the frog 

 come to the ground, and leave it and the sole alone. 



