SECRETARY'S REPORT. 203 



cularly refreshing to weary horses, and tends greatly to the 

 preservation of their soundness. 



In regard to the clothing of horses, there is much diversity 

 of opinion. It is, however, absolutely necessary to cover warmly 

 and protect from the cold such horses as are driven so rapidly 

 as to cause profuse perspiration. Horses of slow work and 

 coarse blood are generally furnished with a very thick, warm 

 coat of hair, and readily become accustomed to endure the cold 

 without a blanket. A liorse, however, looks much better and 

 requires less food when blanketed, and considering the variable- 

 ness and severity of our climate, the usa of some artificial 

 covering is, on the whole, to be recommended. 



"Whenever a liorse is cleaned, a careful groom will inspect 

 his feet to see that his shoes are tight, that there are no pro- 

 jecting clinches to wound his fetlocks, and that there be nothing 

 wedged into the foot between the heels of the shoe, or between 

 the shoe and the frog, which would do injury to the sole of the 

 foot. He will also with his pick (which is simply a short piece 

 of iron, with a thin, pointed hook upon one end,) thoroughly 

 clean out the gravel and dirt lodged between the shoe and the 

 sole, and examine the sides and cleft of the frog to be sure it is 

 all right. 



The feet of well-bred horses, kept constantly in the stable, 

 would become unnaturally dry, hard and contracted, unless 

 some means were taken to moisten and soften them. The best 

 method of doing this is to fasten into the foot by strips of thin 

 hoop-iron, pieces of thick felt cut to fit the inside of the shoe, 

 and cover the entire sole. These pieces of felt (or they may 

 be made of several thicknesses of woollen cloth) are wet and 

 laid into the foot and the strips of iron pressed in between the 

 shoe and the felt. Sometimes the feet are "stopped" or 

 filled with oil-cake meal, or with cow-dung, or with clay, but 

 the same result is more conveniently attained by the first 

 method. In dry, hot weather, fast-working horses unless they 

 have flat feet and weak soles should have the feet stuffed every 

 night. 



It is thought by many to be an excellent plan to apply occa- 

 sionally to all parts of the feet of horses an ointment consisting 

 of equal parts of tar, lard, and beeswax, and it is probable that 



