116 THE HORSE AKD HIS EIDEE. 



And yet, strange to say, simply by the act of shoeing, 

 this merciful protection in every country in the world 

 is, generally speaking, destroyed 1 



If a mischievous or ignorant clown were to drive a 

 nail through a chronometer, he would only destroy an 

 insensible and inanimate work of art ; but when a man 

 of wealth, intelligence, and science — the proprietor of a 

 valuable horse, on whose safe going his comfort, and 

 occasionally his life depends — deliberately nails to the 

 poor creature's living, expansible feet four obdurate, 

 inexpansible iron shoes, he is really guilty of an act of 

 barbarity and barbarism which would scarcely be expected 

 from a savage, for besides instantly impeding the expan- 

 sive apparatus of the foot, he effectually stops its growth. 



Under this treatment the young horse, by day and by 

 night, not only lives in shoes which, though they may 

 not hurt him very much in the stable, always pinch 

 him " in his utmost need," or rather speed ; but, like 

 a Chinese lady, he outgrows his own feet, until, on 

 attaining his full size, it is discovered that his body, 

 which, like that of Dives, his master, has always worn 

 fine clothing, and has fared sumptuously every day, has 

 nothing but a set of colt's feet with contracted heels 

 to carry it ! 



To prevent, or at least to alleviate the sufferings acute 

 and chronic just described, Mr. Turner, of Ecgent Street, 



