BAD SHOEING. 379 



will not suppurate, and the horse's work go on the same 

 as if he had not been hurt. You will have to watch that 

 suppuration does not take place, as, in that case, there 

 will have to be an outlet for the matter. You will detect 

 it from increased heat in the foot, and the horse exhibit- 

 ing pain when you touch it. If this does not occur, the 

 bandage must not be disturbed, until time enough has 

 elapsed for the cure to take place. How did it occur ? I 

 was in hopes to have got home before you had driven him, 

 as I wanted to see how he was going ; though, from hav- 

 ing been away longer than I intended, I presume you 

 thought I had forsaken you entirely. 



PUPIL. I have missed you very much, though I have 

 had extraordinary good fortune till this accident took 

 place. I was repeating a brush I had given 'him of a 

 quarter of a mile, or such matter. In the first, he came 

 down the stretch very fast, when I let him go a three- 

 minute gait tiU he came to the three-quarter pole again, 

 and on clucking to him, he burst off at a tremendous pace 

 I am confident it was fast enough to trot in twenty or 

 better when he made a wild break. I snatched him 

 rather short, and the consequence was that cut. 



PRECEPTOR. Pick up his off hind foot; the shoe must 

 have got out of shape to inflict so much damage, as I never 

 saw the shoe he is wearing do more than bruise the quar- 

 ter. How is this ? What are those large-headed nails in 

 for? 



PUPIL. The shoe got a little loose, and in place of send- 

 ing him to the shop, I pulled out the nails, one at a time, 

 and replaced them by driving these in the same holes. I 

 thought, as all his shoes would need replacing in a few 

 days, I would make it do till he was shod ah 1 around. 



PRECEPTOR. I hope this will be a lesson to you, that, if 

 you contemplate shoeing your horses, you will first learn 

 to be a blacksmith, and then provide yourself with proper 



