672 



SHOEING. 



but in spite of the utmost efforts made to introduce it, it went 

 into disuse.* 



But the most striking innovation was that made by a man 



Fig. 490. — Hinge shoe for cure of 



contraction. From a French 



work. 



Fig. 497. — Form of shoe devised for 

 preventing contraction. From 

 a French work. 



named Dunbar, whose method consisted in cutting away the bars, 



opening the heels, and cutting out the 

 sole almost to the quick, then fitting 

 the shoes larger, and nailing back to 

 the quarters. The principle was, that 

 the removal of this horn which tied the 

 heels together, enabled the quarters to 

 spread and grow wider. While this 

 seemed but a crude idea, it was, how- 

 ever, so successful in many cases as to 

 attract considerable attention, and 

 proved an additional step toward the 

 key of curing contraction. 



The government gave this man 



Fig. 498.— Shoe used by the 



French for the cure of 



contraction. 



* Passing through this part of the country in 1866, I was persuaded by this 

 man to have such a shoe put on one of my horses that was a little lame in one of 

 liis feet. I cautioned him not to nail the shoe on too firmly, or open it too vio- 

 lently (which I could see was his intention to do), as it would be sure to cause seri- 

 ous irritation in the foot. But disregarding my wishes, assuming that he knew 

 just how to do it, and saying that it would be all right, he put it on in his own way. 

 The result was as I had anticipated ; the lameness that followed soon compelled me 

 to take it off. 



