344 ON PLATING RACE-HORSES. 



well pointed, the horse caiiiiot (if a plate gets wrong) 

 start for the second or perhaps the third heat, the con- 

 sequences of which are too self-evident to need expla- 

 nation. 



From incessant travelling and running a horse's feet 

 soon get out of order, unless great care be taken. 

 When they are in that state, the horse must run in 

 three-quarter plates, if he has to run long lengths, or 

 heats ; and if the ground be hard, his feet will suffer 

 much from concussion, and become very hot and 

 painful. 



If the horse, after running, has a long way to walk 

 to his stable, perhaps on a hard road, his plates should 

 be carefully taken off on the course, and his shoes 

 should afterwards be as carefully put on. But when 

 a horse walks from the course to his stable in his plates, 

 I have known some grooms, after having the plates 

 taken off, let the horse stand without shoes. Of this 

 I do not approve. A horse with his feet in the state 

 I have described, cannot well bear the weight of his 

 body on them without shoes ; and until the heat and 

 pain in his feet subside, he is mostly seen lying down. 

 I should recommend grooms not to let a horse, under 

 the above circumstances, stand without shoes. It 

 is better by far to put them lightly on, driving the 

 nails into the old holes, and turning down the clinches 

 as easy as possible. A horse can then bear his weight, 

 and will stand or move about in his stall or box with 

 much more ease to himself, than when he has no shoes 

 on. 



