26 THE horse's FOOT, 



it would have been entirely removed on the arrival of the 

 Thirteenth Light Dragoons last year in Exeter ; for among 

 till? horses of that regiment, I found, through the kindness of 

 Lieut. Col. Brunton, who allowed me to inspect the shoeing, 

 the strongest possible confirmation of the truth of my posi- 

 tion. Here were horses with every variety of feet shod with 

 six nails only, and these all placed in the outside limb and 

 toe of the shoe, all the remainder of the shoe remaining free 

 and unattached to the foot. Mr. Legrew, the very intelligent 

 veterinary surgeon of the regiment, informed me that he had 

 not employed more than six nails for nearly two years, and 

 that the loss of a shoe was a very rare occurrence with them, 

 even on a field-day, than which there is scarcely any work 

 more trying to the security of horses' shoes. Any mode of 

 fastening that has proved itself eiqual to retaining the shoes 

 through a long field-day, in stiff ground, may very safely be 

 recommended as fully sufficient for all ordinary purposes. 



The question of the efficiency of six nails for road work 

 is settled, I should think, to the satisfaction of the most skep- 

 tical, by the fact of the Thirteenth having done the Queen's 

 escort duty during their year at Hounslow without the loss 

 of a single shoe. Any one acquainted with the rapid pace 

 at which her Majesty invariably travels on the road, will 

 readily admit the sufficiency of the test. 



During the last six months I have arranged my five nails 

 upon this " system of one-sided nailing," recommended and 

 first practised by Mr. James Turner; and the result has 

 been most satisfactory, — the shoes have not only been firmly, 

 but easily held to the feet, as is evidenced by the clinches 

 not having risen in one single instance, — a clear proof that 

 the struggle between the expansion of the foot and the re» 

 sistance of the shoe is entirely overcome by this mode ot 

 fastening. A further experience of nine months since th« 

 publication of the first edition, has fully confirmed the above 

 conclusions in every particular. This very desirable end 

 appears to be attained in the following manner : the outer 

 side of the foot, being the only part nailed to the shoe, carries 

 the whole shoe with it at every expansion ; while the inner 

 side, being unattached, expands independently of it, whereby 

 all strain upon the nails is avoided, and the foot is left, with 

 respect to its power of expansion, as nearly as possible in a 

 state of nature. 



An unexpected benefit has arisen to one of my horses frora 

 this plan, in the total disappearance of two very troublesom« 



