THE SHOE AND THE FEOO. 327 



intervals. But the ease and safety with which the horse 

 so shod can tread, and the lightness of the weight 

 attached to the hoof, are advantages which more than 

 compensate for the trouble. 



Within the last few years owners of horses have 

 gradually come to understand the object of the frog, 

 and have ordered their farriers to leave it untouched. 



The opposition of nearly all farriers, and even of some 

 veterinary surgeons, has been wonderfully aroused by 

 the suggestion. In several places, I have found men 

 who assert that "thrush" is produced by neglecting to 

 cut the frog. The horn hangs from the uncut frog in 

 ragged strips, and then, according to their ideas, the 

 dirt works its way between them into the interior of 

 the hoof, sets up inflammation, and causes thrush. Now 

 I wonder how wild horses manage to trim their hoofs, 

 and how many of them suffer from thrush. 



During the controversy which has lately been aroused 

 respecting the shoe and the hoof, it has been mentioned 

 more than once that when a young horse has been 

 ridden and driven without having his feet protected by 

 shoes, he has gone admirably at first, but after he has 

 travelled some miles his feet have given way, the hoofs 

 being worn down to the quick, and the animal unable to 

 move a step. Several persons who have tried the experi- 

 ment and met with this result, have written to the effect 

 that they have given the horse a fair trial without shoes, 

 but that the hard artificial roads have been too much for 

 him. 



