STABLE REFORMS. 231 



Any system of slioeing wMcli is compatible with these 

 two rules will do for me ; but I know of none excepting 

 the Charlier shoe and the tip. The Groodenough shoe is 

 supposed to be let into the foot like the Charlier — some- 

 times^ at any rate — but it is much too thick, and to bring 

 the frog flush with the calkins would necessitate a serious 

 mutilation of the foot ; in fact I think it would be impos- 

 sible, as the Goodenough is nearly as broad as a common 

 shoe, and, as far as the foot surface goes, it is identical 

 with the common concave-seated shoe, both being eased 

 off so as not to press upon the sole. The common shoe 

 is generally, not always, a little the wider of the two. 

 If that part of the foot which breaks away on hard 

 ground faster than it can be reproduced be protected 

 from wear, I cannot see what the rest of the foot, which 

 does not wear away, wants with any so-called protection. 

 Corns are always caused by the shoe ; side bones, I think, 

 generally so ; and though it may be said that tips expose 

 the animal to the danger of a bruised heel, bruised heels 

 were by no means unknown under the old system. 

 With tips, too, snow does not ball in the foot ; with every 

 other shoe it does so more or less. I may as well say, 

 while giving my own experiences, that I have lately been 

 working a hack in common short tips, not let into the 

 foot, and the horse goes very well on the road. As the 

 animal was made to travel barefoot, I do not see the advan- 

 tage of making him incapable of doing so by a long 

 course of artificial treatment. But one thing must be 

 remembered : although many lamenesses are attributable 

 to bad shoeing, there are other causes of disease in the 

 feet wholly unconnected with the blacksmith^ s shop. A 

 horse may have acute laminitis, for instance, who has 

 never been shod, if he has been otherwise mismanaged. 



