M. niELERS OPINION. .307 



firm manner, and it is scarcely possible that anything in- 

 tervened between it and the hoof, for no traces of holes or 

 rivets were perceived. The presence of straps leads to the 

 supposition that these sole^E were applied during work only, 

 and that they were removed when the animal entered its 

 stable. Without this precaution, the straps, already dan- 

 gerous by the wear to which they might subject the skin 

 of the pastern, could not fail to be yet more pernicious if 

 left continually tightened around the feet. It is remark- 

 able that the clips are only at the corners of the toes, and 

 that the iron sole should become narrowed at the part 

 which corresponds to the quarters ; was this to prevent 

 slipping r Or did the Romans understand that the heels 

 were elastic ? It is very possible that their spirit of ob- 

 servation taught them something respecting this. The 

 presence of these four solece on the feet of the same horse, 

 sufficiently indicates that they were not used for maladies 

 alone, as has been surmised, but habitually'' (fig. 117). 



fig. 117 



' Journal de Mt'd. \'et. de I>y()n, p. 241, 1857. 



20 * 



