AND ON SHOEING. 203 



as may be necessary to preserve their horses' feet in as 

 healthy a state as possible. They should endeavour also 

 to make themselves acquainted w ith such remedies as 

 may be most advantageously applied to give relief 

 when their horses' feet are somewhat diseased or out of 

 order from being repeatedly shod and plated. For 

 race-horses can no more work, travel, or run with 

 bad feet than with bad legs. Grooms were for- 

 merly particularly attentive to the latter, but I have 

 known them neglect the former, unless when their 

 horses shoes or plates were put on by a strange 

 smith. This is very improper. They should, on all 

 occasions, pay the strictest attention to their horses' 

 feet, as Veterinary Surgeons in high practice are not 

 to be met with in every town, neither are good 

 shoeing or plating smiths to' be found at every racing 

 meeting. 



The feet of race-horses are mostly small and strong, 

 with a deep or high crust. Their heels are also 

 high and strong and their soles concave. Horses 

 with such very strong feet have been known to work 

 for years without shoes, but then this has been under 

 peculiar circumstances. 



The feet of all horses are liable to contraction. 

 This is easily to be observed, particularly in old 

 horses which have been kept in an artificial state ; 

 their feet become long and narrow, and their heels 

 contracted. Yet many horses with their feet in this 

 state may be observed to go perfectly sound. 



