210 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



VOL. I. 



are consequently in general cast ; in the com- 

 mon mode of doing which they are thrown 

 upon their sides, or rather nearly on their 

 backs, and one end of a forked stick being 

 thrust into the hobbles which confine the 

 legs, the other end is firmly fixed to the 

 ground. The hoof is thus held up while the 

 shoe is put on ; bat it is attended with fre- 

 quent accident, and its obvious inconvenience 

 may be avoided by the adoption of either of 

 the following simple machines, which are 

 used in some places as brakes, and completely 

 answer the purpose. 



Fig. GO. — 1. Top piece of sliding plank to 

 confine the head. 



2 2. Broad strong straps of leather, fast- 

 ened by links of iron to prevent the ox from 

 lying down on his belly, which they are apt 

 to do if not prevented ; and the hinder strap 

 to prevent his drawing back to the injury of 

 his head and neck. 



3 3. Two stumps strongly fixed in the 

 ground to tie the fore legs to. 



4. An iron that lifts up and down to con- 

 fine the roller, to which the legs are tied for 

 the purpose of shoeing. 



5 5 5 are holes, with others corresponding 

 not seen in the plate, to be shifted according 

 to the length of the ox. 



The whole — as will be seen by the fore- 

 going sketch — is so simple, that a carpenter, 

 with these directions, can construct it at a 

 very trifling expense. 



Another brake, recommended by Bakewell, 

 Figs. 61 and 62, consists of four upright posts, 

 A, and two strong bars, B, to which the ox is 

 confined with broad straps passed' under his 

 belly and fastened over his back. His fore 

 feet are thus successively stretched out upon 

 the projecting crooked beams, C, which are 

 bevelled out to receive them, thus — 



Fig. 61. 



The hind legs, when shod, which is not 

 usual, unless when the oxen are used for 

 road-work, are securely held out by a wooden 

 lever, the end of which is hollowed out. The 

 claws of the ox cannot, however, support a 

 strong shoe of the usual form and weight, 

 and the iron used in the operation is not of 

 sufficient strength or goodness of workman- 

 ship to prevent its frequently giving way. In 

 districts where oxen are used in draught, no 

 farrier should be unprovided with a brake of 

 some kind, but that is too frequently neglect- 

 ed ; the difficulties opposed to shoeing them 

 are therefore the more necessary to surmount, 



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i 



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Fig. 62. 



and we cannot but think that these might bi 

 materially corrected, if young steers, o 

 calves, intended for the yoke, were, when ii 

 the yards, to have their hooves taken up. am 

 beaten with a hammer, preparatory to thi. 

 more regular operation when they come inti 

 work. 



In addition to these machines, a method i 

 pursued in shoeing them, which, besides it 

 extreme simplicity, admits of being used fo 

 any animal in case of accident, and merel' 

 consists in slinging them up in a sack, whici 

 prevents their offering any resistance. I 

 consists of a long lever, fixed in a strong up 



