126 UNASKED ADVICE. 



that there are two in one street. Messrs. Stevens,, of 

 Park Lane^ also shoe in this way, and a set of shoes put 

 on a hack of mine on the Saturday after " Cremorne^s 

 Derby ^^ are still on, and, though worn very much, not 

 quite done (July 15). 



Mr. Hunting^s objection to the system is effectually 

 answered in an editorial note. How such a mistake 

 could be made by a professional man puzzles me, as the 

 chief beauty of the shoe is that it causes the weight to 

 be equally borne by the heels, frog, outside of the sole, 

 and crust ; the exact contrary of the common shoe, whose 

 chief fault is that the heels and frog are put out of work 

 altogether. Hence the great benefit experienced by horses 

 suffering from fever in the feet, especially the chronic or 

 sub-acute form of that malady, when shod after the 

 Charlier method. 



A correspondent '^^ Kangaroo" very justly remarks 

 upon the impossibility of a horse becoming footsore in 

 the frog, sole, or heel of his foot as a result of travelling 

 barefoot. It is the toe about halfway round that suffers, 

 and this is all that demands protection in the fore feet, 

 whatever the work may be, and upon whatever soil. But 

 I think " Kangaroo" exaggerates the dangers of shoeing 

 a horse a la Charlier and working him at once. That the 

 sole will scale away is indubitable, but I have never found 

 any inconvenience result from the process, as a new sole 

 is ready for use immediately on the loss of the old one. 

 I have shod now some dozens of horses in this way, and 

 in all cases where the frog has been sound they have 

 been able to go on at their usual tasks after a day or 

 two of " feeling their feet." Of course a thin-soled horse 

 should be as much as possible kept off newly macadamised 

 roads, but after a time he will travel over them certainly 



