TRAINING, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT. II3 



one to the other, while scraping with all his might 

 with a heavy load up hill. So the proper management 

 of his feet is of the greatest importance to the owner. 

 In this case very strong shoes are required, or they 

 would easily bend. I would put on a steel cross toe- 

 piece, and two caulkings of each heel, exactly the 

 same height as the toe-piece. I would put tivo toe 

 clips instead of one, as is the rule. I would not permit 

 the wall to be weakened by thinning it , so as to bury 

 the clip into it, to make a neat job. Why ? Because 

 you want all the strength you can get in the walls. 

 The force is immense with which they stamp down 

 their feet when heavily laden ; the two toe clips divide 

 the pressure somewhat, and are not so likely to break 

 off. 



In the event of a draught horse having brittle feet, 

 a rim of thick sole leather between the shoe and the 

 wall will greatly relieve the jar and preserve the foot. 



Where farm horses are constantly working in the 

 fields — shoeing is not always necessary — ^just run the 

 rasp along the outside edge of the wall occasionally, 

 and that is all that is required. I say to the farmer, 

 try it on sound-footed horses, and you will own I 

 am right. 



A farmer once said to me that his horses (which 

 were being shod that day) had had their shoes on five 

 months. Is it any wonder that horses get crippled in 

 their feet under such circumstances ? Then again the 



