106 CARE AND TKAINING OF TK0TTEK8 AND PACERS. 



come in contact with the ground is all nonsense, pure and 

 simple. 



If an animal were not supposed to have frog and sole 

 pressure, why is it almost the universal rule of all of our 

 foremost drivers and horsemen to invariably shoe with 

 a leather pad under the shoe and then pack the space be- 

 tween the sole of the foot and the pad with hoof ointment 

 and then lay several layers of oakum upon it? This is gen- 

 erally packed in as snug as possible. Do they not do this 

 to avoid concussion by distributing the blow of the foot, 

 as it hits the ground, over the entire sole surface? Cer- 

 tainly they do, otherwise what would be the use of the pad 

 and packing? Would it not be just as well to carve out 

 the frog, sole and bars and then not use the leather and 

 packing? It may do, to the theory of some, but if there 

 were any merit in this procedure, why do not the leading 

 horsemen shoe in this manner? 



The old-time trotting horse men, and shoers, too, can 

 vouch for the fact that the old-timers were more in favor 

 cf paring out the soles of their horses feet, in fact a far- 

 rier's reputation depended to quite an extent upon his 

 ability to do a nice job of paring. By this is meant to see 

 how mucn of the frog, sole and bars he really could cut 

 out without drawing blood. But history tells us that the 

 old-time racer invariably had foot trouble of some sort 

 or other, generally corns, quarter cracks and toe cracks 

 were common, and contraction and its subsequent sequel, 

 the dreaded navicular disease. There is no denying the 

 fact that excessive paring of the sole ultimately hastens 

 the above named foot diseases. 



If our colts had their feet dressed in the proper manner 

 from colthood up and were shod according to nature, the 

 entire, structure would be pliable, as nature intended it 

 should be, without artificial hoof packings and oils, and as 

 it is when untouched by the hand of man. 



No one ever saw a hard frog or sole in the foot of an 

 animal that had plenty of frog and sole pressure. The 

 action of the frog supplies the needed expansion to the 

 hoof at every step and this action necessarily keeps the 

 bars and sole in constant activity and consequently pliable 

 and resistant to concussion. 



In all the schools for farriers, especially those of the 

 foreign countries (and there is no denying the fact that 

 they are far advanced and pay more attention to the foot 

 cf the horse than we do, as a general rvile) students are 



