HORSE-SHOEING. 213 



renders its ordinary management either a matter of much or 

 trifling moment. 



When it has been robbed of its horn by the farrier, and 

 brought to such an artificial and abnormal state as we have 

 indicated, then its preservation is anything like a healthy or 

 efficient condition is a matter of no small difficulty, and appears 

 sometimes to demand very curious and often by no means reason- 

 able practices on the part of the groom. 



The most common are : applying to the face of the wall tar, 

 oil, fish-oil, or advertised mixtures of various kinds to make the 

 horn grow, prevent brittleness, cure diseases, etc.; and to the 

 sole plates of leather, bolsters of tow steeped in tar, filthy appli- 

 cations of cow-dung, mud or clay, and other matters. 



It is scarcely necessary to say that to the unpared and un- 

 rasped hoof these are not only unnecessary, but some of them 

 even positively hurtful. Oil, for instance, not only renders the 

 wall brittle, but loosens then nails ; while cow -dung, from the 

 ammonia it contains, destroys the frogs. 



The unmutilated hoof is easily kept in health. All it requires 

 is keeping eool, and moistening occasionally with cold water 

 during hot weather or after severe exertion. When a journey 

 has been long continued and severe, the horse should not be 

 immediately put into a stable, but ought to be walked gently 

 about until the circulation of blood in the feet has had time to 

 accommodate itself to the altered conditions of rest. By this 

 means iaminitis (inflammation of the feet) is averted. 



In washing the hoofs a water brush should not be employed, 

 but a soft sponge, with a view to prevent the translucent horn on 

 the front of the wall being destroyed. 



The sides and clefts of the frog may be cleaned out occa- 



