SHOEING. 



117 



long as the unfettered part be covered by a regular shoe. They com- 

 prehend that by omitting the nails on one side of the hoof, that side is 

 left free to exercise its natural property of expansion. Therefore they 

 perceive that the unilateral mode of shoeing is a partial remedy for 

 contraction. 



Though always worked on grass, and ever lightly shod, no animal is 

 so troubled with mule hoofs as is the racer ; yet no quadruped is so en- 

 tirely under the inspection of man. The mode of shoeing must be at 

 fault. That cannot be right the results from which are purely evil. 

 The consequences experienced from the custom of fettering that portion 

 of the foot on which the pleasure of motion and the extent of the re- 

 bound both depend, argue strongly in favor of tips, not only as training, 

 but more especially as running shoes. Men with fleshy feet, having no 

 protection from leather, fearlessly tread the race-course ; yet the owners 

 of blood stock seem afraid* of trusting their animals to perform an act 

 not equally bold — although nature sends the horse into the world with 

 ready-made and stout-made shoes. There can be no just reason why 

 the steed which never quits the turf need be hampered even with a 

 unilateral shoe, were the horn only carefully, and not ruthlessly, cut 

 away. 



A SEATED AND A UNILATERAL SnOE. 



A seated shoe implies a regular shoe, which has only so much upper 

 surface left as will admit of the crust resting upon it. The remainder 

 of the web slants away, till the posterior or inner margin becomes a 

 comparatively fine edge. Such a make of shoe may lessen the weight, 

 but it can afford no protection ; while it offers a snug lodging for stones 

 or grit, and presents an extended surface for the huntsman's dreaded 

 heavy clay to act upon. Yet, for the sake of its prettiness, the seated 

 shoe is all but universally adopted. No other form is so largely patron- 

 ized by what should be the informed class of society. 



