20 THE horse's foot, 



veniently cai.: and, if in fitting the shoe, I observe a cornef 

 pressing upon, or in any way interfering with the frog, I 

 cause it to be cut off, rather than have the shoe opened out to 

 let in the frog ; for in opening out the shoe, a portion equal 

 to the objectionable corner must be thrust out beyond the 

 hoof, which is very undesirable, as presenting a ready hold 

 for stiff ground to pull the shoe off by. This plan of bringing 

 in the heels, while it covers and protects the angles whence 

 the bars are reflected,* at the same time draws the sides of 

 the shoe nearer together, and opposes to the stony road a 

 surface of iron instead of the unprotected foot, warding off 

 thereby many a blow, that would otherwise prove highly in- 

 jurious. 



There is a notion very generally entertained, that the foot 

 receives its form from the shoe, — an inference, I take it, drawn 

 from the feet of Chinese ladies, but totally unsupported by 

 any thing which happens fo the foot of the horse : still it 

 does exist, and I have no doubt tends in a great degree to 

 keep up the prejudice in favor of open-heeled shoes. The 

 truth really is, that the shape of the shoe cannot by possibili, 

 ty influence the shape of the foot ; for the foot, being elastic, 

 expands to the weight of the horse in precisely the same de- 

 gree, whether it be resting upon the most open or the most 

 contracted shoe : it is the situation of the nails, and not the 

 shape of the shoe, that determines the form of the foot ; and 

 whether the shoe be wide or narrow, if the heels and quarters 

 of both sides be nailed to it, the foot will inevitably become 

 smaller and smaller, and the heels more and more contracted. 

 The most open shoe will avail no more than the narrowest. 

 If the nails, on the contrary, be placed in the outside quarter 

 and toe, leaving the heels and quarters of the inside, which 

 are the most expansive portions, free,"]" no shape that we can 

 give to the shoe can of itself change the form of the foot ; for, 

 supposing the shoe to be too contracted, the foot will expand 

 out over it, provided it be not restrained by the too backward 

 placing of the nails. I would not however be understood to 

 mean, that the shape of the shoe is therefore of no importance ; 

 for I trust I have already proved the contrary, while con- 

 sidering the mischievous tendency of that form whi ch is 

 *Mvell set off at the heels" — inviting, as it were with open 

 arms, every hard substance in the road "to come and do it3 

 worst;" as though the numerous ills the foot is unavoidably 



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• Page 56, ag. 12. t Page 55, fig. 11. 



