AND HOW TO KEEP IT SOUND. 27 



corns : they had existed in his feet for ten years, during 

 seven of which I tried every plan that I had ever heard of 

 as likely to effect a cure, — both in form of shoe and local 

 application, — without, however, any decided advantage ; but 

 the adoption of this plan of fastening the shoe to the foot, by 

 removing all restraint and pressure from the part, has acci- 

 dentally achieved that which I had so long sought in vain. 



Since writing the above, I learned that a commercial trav- 

 eller, who was detained in Exeter on account of an accident, 

 had for some time past employed only five nails, placed in 

 the outer limb and toe of his horse's fore shoes. Upon hear- 

 ing which, I made a point of seeing him ; and he informed me, 

 that he always performed his journeys on horseback ; that 

 they averaged full five thousand miles a year, and that his 

 comfort necessarily depended very much upon the freedom of 

 action and safe going of his horse ; that about fourteen weeks 

 ago he found him stepping short, and going tenderly, and con- 

 sulted a veterinary surgeon about it, who advised his being 

 shod with five nails only upon the one-sided plan of nailmg, 

 asserting, at the same time, that he had recommended and 

 employed that plan very extensively with most beneficial 

 results. It was accordingly tried, and he very soon had the 

 gratification of feeling his horse move under him with a firm 

 and confident step, most unlike that to which he had lately 

 been accustomed. He told me, that further experience had 

 only confirmed his first impression ; and that he should con- 

 tinue to shoe upon the same system, with the same number of 

 nails ; that the first pair of shoes set at rest all his doubts and 

 fears about the insecurity of the plan, for he had occasion to 

 ride his horse, in the new shoes, thirty miles a day for the 

 first six days in succession ; and that they were as fiimly 

 attached to the feet at the end of one hundred and eighty 

 miles, as they were at the commencement of the journey ; 

 and that they continued firm, until the horse was reshod, 

 which did not happen for five weeks. He also told me, that 

 he has found five nails retain a shoe, with leather between it 

 and the foot, for an equally long period. I have, likewise, 

 myself tested their capability of holding a shoe with leather 

 under it, having shod a horse in that manner for the last two 

 months ; and although I have not permitted the shoe to re- 

 main on for five weeks without removal, I have satisfied my- 

 self that they are fully equal to retaining the shoe as long £is 

 IX ought to remain on. i 



The horse in question is as unfavorable a subject for the 



