228 UNASKED ADVICE. 



good beliind. The mare^s lieels became mucli more 

 open ; no man need desire a better back on tbe road ; 

 and, oddly enough, she pulled through last season without 

 falling. This, of course, was not the shoeing; but it 

 shows that horses do not slip worse in Charlier than in 

 other shoes. No. 2 was a five-year-old, which looked very 

 much like going to the kennels at six. This animal 

 enjoyed incipient side bones and ossification of the car- 

 tilages, having a narrow brittle hoof. She might also 

 have reasonably backed herself to be the worst hack in 

 England. Being a good hunter, I gave her a chance, 

 and after a month^s rest, with blistering of the coronets, I 

 shod her all round, and she did exercise until it was time 

 to hunt again. I did not know my own animal when I 

 rode her in the autumn. Her heels were springy j she 

 had recovered her action, and left ofi" a habit of boring on 

 the bit, which arose from her grogginess. This mare 

 continued sound. No. 3 was a flat-footed horse, with calf 

 knees, and legs that were always swelled. He never was 

 lame ; but when shod with these shoes his feet became 

 much stronger, and his legs never filled all last season 

 (69-70.) As we all know the connection between the 

 frog and flexor tendon, this is an interesting fact. I had 

 ridden the horse two seasons with round legs, and never 

 succeeded in getting them down. Both this horse and 

 No. 2 used to cut behind badly, but they have not done it 

 with the Charlier shoe ; which, indeed, has much less to 

 cut with — less, in fact, to the extent of the thickness of 

 the ordinary shoe, as this one is sunk in the foot instead 

 of projecting beyond it. No. 4 had chronic laminitis. 

 He improved very much during the summer, when I sold 

 him into a comfortable home ; but his owner, a friend of 

 mine, put common shoes on him, and I should fancy he 



