SHOEING. 233 



with the pernicious practice which I am now condemning, 

 of cutting away the frog. This valuable india-rubber-like 

 substance should be jealously guarded, and most carefully 

 preserved from injury or waste ; a knife ought no more 

 be allowed to touch it than permitted to penetrate the 

 horse's eye; perhaps even with greater care ought it to 

 be preserved, for whereas some excellent goers have but 

 one eye to see with, an animal on three legs is of but little 

 use to anybody, except the knacker, into whose hands he is 

 pretty certain soon to fall. 



Second on the list of evils comes the paring away of the 

 sole of the foot, and so general is this most unwise operation, 

 that grooms absolutely prepare for it the night before their 

 charges go to the forge, by stopping their feet with cow- 

 dung, or some other horrible dirt. The practice is a cruel, 

 useless, and highly deleterious one, which owners of horses 

 ought not in anywise to encourage or permit. 



Third, is the hideous habit of opening up the heels : 

 which means making a deep incision into the wall of the 

 foot at the heel, just where it is bent inward to form the 

 bars. Nothing could possibly be more injurious or in- 

 judicious than this detestable operation. It weakens the 

 wall of the foot, and occasions what all horse-fanciers strive 

 to guard against, the evil of contracted heels. The frog, 

 sole, and bars have each a separate and most important 

 duty to perform, and are, if unwisely interfered with, ren- 

 dered absolutely incapable of contributing to the carrying 

 out of Nature's exemplary plan. 



Fourth, is the custom of putting on shoes that are too 



