88 THE HORSE. 



for weak heels — shoes for interfering — hinder shoes 

 for the same — slender shoes for perfect hoofs — shoe 

 with a vice — joint shoe to widen and straiten at 

 pleasure — shoe with a welt or border — shoe with 

 rings, to make a horse lift up his feet : which foolery- 

 he strongly condemns. It may be remarked, that in 

 those days they made the shoes too wide and heavy, 

 and had not discovered the error and mischief of 

 ' opening the heels :' these two errors were handed 

 down to our days, among the common smiths ; and 

 within my recollection, certain, otherwise skilful 

 shoers, were great advocates for opening the heels. — 

 The nail, of which a figure is given by Blundeville, 

 is rlatheaded, and upon the principle of the present 

 countersunk nail. He also presents his readers with 

 the figures of fifty different bits and a head strain ; 

 frankly acknowledging, however, the useless inge- 

 nuity of the greater part of them ; and that three 

 only, which he specifies, were fully adequate to 

 every useful purpose. 



If I have before remarked, and I repeat, there is 

 no branch of the care and management of the horse, 

 equal in consequence with that which bears relation 

 to his feet and legs, whence the paramount import- 

 ance of a general sound and good system of farriery. 

 Hitherto, the mulish obstinacy, hard headedness, and 

 indocility of blacksmiths, has been constantly quoted 

 as the insuperable bar to such a consummation ; but 

 the voluntary declaration of Mr. Goodwin, the first 

 of gentleman-blacksmiths in these realms, goes a 

 great way towards setting our old apprehensions at 



