DISEASES OF THE FEET, ETC. 85 



going into the subject thoroughly as it does, and exhaust- 

 ing it as nearly as possible. 



Tips, Shoeing with. The originator of tips should be 

 immortalized, and if the community of horses had any 

 say in the matter I have no doubt he would be, as I 

 consider them probably the most useful of all protections 

 to the feet. It is barely possible they were the first at- 

 tempt at a shoe, inasmuch as they really are only some- 

 what of an apology for one ; and in that consists their 

 great merit, for the less you bind a horse's foot with heavy 

 iron bands the greater chance you give nature to act, 

 and the more she is allowed to assert her sway the more 

 healthy will be the foot. All a shoe is required for is to 

 prevent the hoof from being broken, and at the same 

 time give it a chance to grow out. Now the tip just 

 covers the toe, and around back to the quarter ; behind 

 that protection is not necessary, unless in cases of 

 car horses, or something of that kind, that are always 

 on the stones. But I am on the subject of gentlemen's 

 horses. Now for those especially who take their horses 

 to the country in May, to remain during the sum- 

 mer and fall : if they would have their shoes taken 

 off, and use them with tips all the time that they remain 

 in the country, the benefit to their feet would be such 

 that they would have no difficulty from any unsoundness. 

 One may say, the turnpike would injure them : not at 

 all ; where it is very rough, ease up a little, that is all. 

 On ordinary pikes a horse with tips will do very well ; the 

 great mistake is, too much shoeing and too heavy shoes. 

 As a question of economy also it is worth looking into 

 for some, as the cost will not exceed one-half the regular 

 expenditure for heavy shoes, if you choose to be particu- 

 lar about that. Besides, any smith can make and put on 

 a tip, whereas the same might not be able to put a 



