ON PLATING RACE-HORSES. 343 



liiglier up, or by making use of a larger sized nail in 

 the same hole, secure the plate. But when a plate 

 may have sprung at the heel of a weak foot, the groom 

 must never allow the smith to put the plate right on 

 the foot, or the odds are that the horse will be lamed. 

 The plate must be taken off and brought in place on 

 any hard level surface that will answer the purpose. 

 To prevent anything of this sort happening to a horse's 

 plates, the greatest care and attention should be paid 

 by the groom to the making of them, as also to the 

 putting them on; for when it happens that a horse's 

 plates get at all wrong, it sometimes occasions great 

 trouble and delay, if the horse be high-couraged or im- 

 petuous, and more particularly, should he have been 

 called upon rather severely, or perhaps punished a 

 little in running the first heat. From these causes, 

 together with the noise and bustle of the crowd, the 

 horse becomes so irritable and anxious, that it is at 

 times very difficult, where there may not be a stable 

 or rubbing house for the horse to go into, for the 

 boy who looks after him (even with the assistance of 

 the groom, — aye, and I will give him his hack into 

 the bargain) to pacify such a horse and get him to 

 stand quiet on the course for the smith to put the 

 plate aright on his foot ; or he may perhaps be obliged 

 to take it off for this purpose. Such occurrences shew 

 how necessary it is for the smith to be in attendance 

 on the race-ground, during the day the horse has to 

 run. Indeed, unless he is on the spot with his tools, 

 spare plates, and plenty of nails properly sorted and 



