SHOEING. 527 



treatment, and that, in the great majority of such cases, is 

 perfectly useless, leaving the horse in a worse state than he 

 was before. The measures commonly resorted to, consist 

 in violent purgatives, and setons through the frogs. A 

 cure is not to be expected from these. The most that can 

 be anticipated, is a temporary relief; but the question 

 arises, whether such relief be not dearly bought, both by 

 the horse and his master ? 



SHOEING. 



A great fuss was formerly made about this process. All 

 the evils resulting from the custom were attributed to the 

 mal-practice of the smith. A very great deal was said 

 about his prejudices, his barbarity, and his ignorance. 

 Every lameness was thought to be traceable to one or the 

 other of these causes. Smiths were changed, and veteri- 

 nary surgeons employed, but nevertheless lameness was as 

 frequent as ever. Then it was discovered, that the evil 

 arose from the smith's having no knowledge of the internal 

 structure of the foot. How, it w^as confidently asked, could 

 men presume to touch feet, who were thoroughly igno- 

 rant of the various parts which composed them — their ana- 

 tomy, their physiology, and their pathology ? Upon this 

 some few, and very few smiths, learnt anatomy, and became 

 very knowing about the horse's foot. But the men thus 

 accomplished were, upon trial, found to be none the better 

 workmen. Horses became lame while under their hands, 

 as frequently as before. It should have been asked, Why 

 should not a person, who knows only the thickness of a 

 piece of horn, be able to drive a nail through it? Many 

 men apparently rude, and entirely ignorant, will, upon 

 taking up a horse's foot, pronounce the thickness of the 

 horn with surprising accuracy. Constant practice gives 

 them a facility of thus judging, by external signs, of the 

 probable depth of a secretion. 



And that is all the men require to know. Had they all 

 the knowledge of the schools, this would be of no use to 

 those who have exclusively to deal with horn. It is of no 

 service to cast needless blame upon a laborious class ; the 

 fact being, that with regard to horse-flesh, the proprietor 

 has a choice of evils ; either to ride the horse unshod over 



