STABLE EEFOUMS. 22^ 



tliemj I may shortly describe tliem as being a piece of 

 india-rubber the shape of the foot surface^ but with a 

 '' rabbet/^ so called, or grooves, the width of the shoe. 

 The pad is wider than the shoe, and protects most part of 

 the sole. It diminishes concussion, and prevents stones 

 being picked up by the shoe, and is so far a good thing. 

 But complaints are made of its causing the shoe to come 

 off, from the play of the nails caused by the elasticity of 

 the rubber. They are almost, if not quite, the same as 

 Edwards's horseshoe cushion, though there may be a 

 sufficient difference between the two to warrant their 

 being called b}' different names. I have personally made 

 a fair trial of the horseshoe cushion, and this is the- 

 history thereof. Some years ago I had a remarkably 

 brilliant hunter, who was also remarkably unsound. He 

 had an inchnation to pumice feet, and could hardly get 

 along at all on the road. I shod him with these rubber 

 cushions or pads, and the horse went very much better — 

 in fact, went on the road as if he were on the soft. So 

 far so good. But I had to leave them off because the 

 shoes were always coming off; and always when least 

 expected did this accident occur. Sometimes the whole 

 thing would stay in its place for a long day's hunting ; 

 sometimes it would become loose in the middle of a run ; 

 and sometimes it would take wings and fly away like a 

 quoit when the horse was doing walking exercise. To be 

 sure of its merits, I tried it on another horse ; the result 

 was just the same, and I naturally gave the shoes up, after 

 using them for more than two months and losing no end 

 of them. And I am persuaded that the same objection 

 will apply to all elastic pads for the same reason, viz., the 

 play of the nails caused by the pad being compressed 

 under the shoe and swelling out again. I should say 



