CHAPTER VIII 



SHOES AND SHOEING 



So many inventions in the shape of improved shoes 

 have been brought before the public of late years 

 that the latter must almost be weary by this time of 

 experimenting upon discoveries of the sort. The 

 fact, moreover, rem.ains that the old pattern has 

 always been returned to, and it seems extremely 

 improbable that anything has yet been, or is likely 

 to be, invented that will wrest it from its present 

 position, and consequently it is unnecessary to write 

 much upon the subject. 



Most of the troubles attendant upon shoeing 

 undoubtedly arise from the carelessness or ineffici- 

 ency of the smith, especially as these artificers are 

 wont to ruin the feet of many thousands of horses 

 annually by fitting the hoof to the shoe instead of 

 vice versa. This is, of course, done to save them- 

 selves trouble, but the careful owner should adopt 

 methods to prevent the soles of his horse's hoofs 

 being whittled away by injudicious paring in order 

 that a lazy workman may be spared the necessity 

 for exerting himself. The practice, too, of applying 

 a very hot shoe to the foot to see how it would fit is 

 far more honoured in the breach than in the observ- 

 ance, as the horn gets dried up by the heat, and 

 consequently where horses are sent to be shod, 

 they should be accompanied by a reliable groom 



