326 THE HORSE 



to get it out of the way of the hind one, and places the 

 hind shoe back of its normal position, with the hope 

 that it will not strike the front one. This method of 

 shoeing does not accomplish the desired result. Taut 

 lines and encouragement on the part of the driver 

 materially assist the horse to overcome the habit of 

 overreaching or stumbling. 



Many patent shoes designed to save the front feet of 

 horses, especially the frogs of the feet, are on the mar- 

 ket. None of them are of much use to sound feet; some 

 are a positive injury to the foot, as they cause the frog 

 to become tender from non-use and, in time, to become 

 diseased. When the foot becomes unsound, a padded 

 shoe may palliate pain and prolong the usefulness of 

 the animal; but all of these shoes which we have seen 

 allow the dirt and filth to get under the protecting pad. 

 By reason of the constant wet, dirty and unsanitary 

 conditions of the frog and sole of the foot, due to the 

 dirt under the pad, and the partial exclusion of the air, 

 the foot inside of the hard outside covering tends to 

 become soft, tender, bad-smelling and diseased. Patent 

 horseshoes can, at best, only palliate the ills of the feet 

 due to bad breeding, over -driving, want of care and the 

 insane desire to draw the largest possible load or to pass 

 everything on the road. The ideal horseshoe is yet to 

 be invented. The horse's foot really requires little 

 attention, if the horse is bred right and used humanely 

 and with judgment. We wonder if time is so precious 

 and valuable, after all, as to justify the tearing up and 

 down the country of droves of people at breakneck 

 speed, in nervous haste to overtake and find rest and 



