SECRETARY'S REPORT. 213 



foot, wlieii the nails arc so driven that only the point comes out 

 of the horn, Tiie clinches should always be made in the 

 stoutest part of the nail, and neatly buried in the hoof, with 

 the hammer, and never afterwards weakened by filing. Indeed 

 the rasp should very rarely be used upon the foot, after the 

 shoe is on, except at the toe, and it should never be aj)plied 

 above the clinches. 



The shoes of horses at work should be carefully examined 

 every day to see that they are neither loose nor in any way out of 

 place ; and they ought to be reset or renewed at least once in 

 two months, and upon valuable horses with good feet, once a 

 month, whether they become loose or not. Upon flat and 

 weak-footed horses, there is little danger that they will remain 

 fast long enough to do any injury, and in such cases, they may 

 safely be allowed to go unchanged, if they will, the full eight 

 weeks. 



Horses running in pasture may be suffered to be without 

 shoes, if their feet are strong, but it is much safer lo put tips 

 or short shoes upon their toes, to prevent the hoof from being 

 broken. The feet of unshod colts should be pared down as 

 often as they need it, since if neglected, they may become 

 permanently misshapen, and the unnatural strain upon the 

 pastern, caused by the excessive length of the toe, is very apt 

 to produce ringbone. 



EDUCATION OF HORSES. 



Horses, like men, may be wonderfully improved by a good 

 education, being rendered more gentle, affectionate, intelligent 

 and useful, and thus in every respect more valuable. There is, 

 however, a very great difference in the intelligence and temper 

 of horses, some being quick of comprehension and others 

 excessively stupid — some pleasant and willing under all cir- 

 cumstances and others as constantly ill-tempered and perverse. 

 These mental and moral characteristics are generally expressed 

 in the countenance and features of the horse as unmistakably 

 as in those of a man, and persons who have never given atten- 

 tion to the physiognomy of horses will be surprised to observe 

 the very obvious differences apparent even among those of tlie 

 same breed. To a few individuals only seems to be given the 

 privilege of reading with almost unerring skill by some natural 

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