ON THE STABLES, ETC. 07 



Another objection to horses being shod in the stables 

 is, that the smith selects, as he imagines, a sufficient 

 number of nails, which, when he has straightened 

 and pointed, he thinks will very well answer the pur- 

 pose for the feet he is going to drive them into ; but, on 

 his arrival at the stable, and when proceeding with his 

 work, he finds that he has not sorted them exactly as 

 he could have wished. Some are too small, others too 

 large; but, as I have already observed, rather than go 

 back to his shop for such sized nails as he might 

 want, the smith makes use of those he has with him, 

 again leaving to chance the effect they may produce. 



Some may be so large as to break a thin shelly foot 

 more than there is really any cause for ; and others 

 may be so small as not to render the shoe sufficiently 

 secure. If even the smith goes back to his shop, to 

 make a better selection of nails, the horse is kept 

 waiting, and that is a thing which ought to be avoided. 

 A race-horse should not be put out of his way, nor 

 made anxious, nor kept waiting, on any such occasion. 

 Shoeing horses in the stables is not only slovenly, 

 but unsafe, and more particularly with respect to race- 

 horses ; for, if from any of the causes above stated, a 

 horse should be lamed, and perhaps severely so, his 

 work must immediately be stopped, and not unlikely 

 for a week or two : such a thing happening to a craving 

 horse would occasion a great loss of time, in conse- 

 quence of his putting up flesh from laying by. This 

 might pre\'ent him from coming out to meet his en- 

 gagements. To prevent accidents arising from the in- 



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