THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. 



107 



that the chief source of the sufferings of horses is to be 

 found in the foot. The suspicion that the foot is not 

 treated rightly by the traditionary method never 

 enters their minds ; and they deal with the limb not 

 from a knowledge of its anatomy, structure, and pur- 

 pose, but in accordance with the popular notions, 

 which are, in plain speech, outrageously absurd. In 

 profound ignorance that the hoof is porous, they 

 apply hoof-ointments, which answer to cement plas- 

 tered on a wall. If these were in constant use, Mr. 

 Douglas asserts emphatically that not a morsel of 

 sound horn would remain at the end of six months, 

 on the horses, and shoeing would become an impossi- 

 bility. If the groom be told that he is thus prevent- 

 ing the internal moisture from reaching the outer 

 surface and the air from circulating inwards, his only 

 answer is an incredulous laugh. His conviction is 

 that the hoof should not come into contact with hard 

 material, and that the horse can be best fitted for his 

 work by having his feet smeared with tar, beeswax, or 

 tallow, and by resting always on a heap of litter in 

 the stable. It would be of little use to cite Lord 

 Pembroke as declaring that '■'■ the constant use of 

 litter makes the feet tender and causes swelled legs ; 

 moreover, it renders the animal delicate. Swelled 

 legs may be frequently reduced to their proper natural 

 size by taking away the litter only, which, in some 

 stables, w^iere ignorant grooms and farriers govern, 

 would be a great saving of bleeding and physic, 

 besides straw." " I have seen," he adds, " by repeated 

 experiments, legs swell and unswell by leaving litter 



