AND ON SHOEING. .'il 9 



by this rim of iron, or sort of shoe ; and which is one 

 very great cause of contraction, as those back parts of 

 the wall or crust of the horse's foot, which are the 

 most elastic parts of it, are prevented from expanding. 

 Another disadvantage attending the use of long, light, 

 narrow shoes is, that they are not of sufficient breadth 

 and substance to prevent very great concussion from 

 taking place in the fore-feet of such craving horses as 

 are often obliged in summer to sweat long lengths over 

 hard ground. I think one of the principal causes of 

 such horses in training and in strong work becoming 

 very groggy in their fore-feet, is their wearing shoes of 

 very little more substance and cover than the plates 

 they run in. 



I have for several years past, been much in the 

 practice of having short shoes put on the fore-feet of 

 many of our troop horses, and those belonging to the 

 officers. Such of them as have had strong upright 

 feet that were more oi* less contracted, I have occar 

 sionally sent to exercise on soft ground, keeping their 

 feet moist in the way already mentioned. Finding 

 that they went on very well in short shoes for two or 

 three months at a time," or until their feet have been 

 sufficiently expanded, I was inclined to try how they 

 would go when sent to their duty in such shoes. 

 Having made the experiment, I found that the horses 

 not only did their duty in the field, and on the road, 

 but they also marched very well in those shoes on the 

 hot roads in the height of summer, carrying the 

 dragoon, with the whole of the regimental appointments 



