426 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



15th century, or perhaps much later, that we find evi- 

 dences of the employment of the grooved or fullered shoe 

 in England ; and then we can only infer that it was im- 

 ported from Germany and the Low Countries, This is 

 somewhat remarkable, if we consider that this kind of plate 

 is very ancient on the continent, M. Quiquerez tracing it 

 back to the 5th century, and the Emperor Napoleon allot- 

 ting it even to the era of the conquest of the Gauls by 

 Julius Caesar. We may entertain some doubt of the latter 

 being correct however, as M. Megnin has examined these 

 Alesia specimens, and found many, if not all, with the un- 

 dulating border. Shoes, we have seen from Mr Rogers's 

 History, were largely bought in England ready made, and 

 by the hundred, and many of these may have been im- 

 ported. In Mercer's History of Dunfermline, it is stated 

 that in the 15th century, Flemish horse-shoes were in 

 demand in Scotland : ' Flanders was the great mart in 

 those times, and from Bruges chiefly, the Scots imported 

 even horse-shoes, harness, saddles, bridles, cart-wheels,' &c. 

 All those found with the groove round their margin, 

 so far as I can learn, have been of comparatively large 

 size. One here represented (fig. 155) was found at Spring- 

 head, near Gravesend (England). 

 Its measurement indicates that 

 it would fit a tolerably well-bred 

 horse about 15^ hands high, or a 

 coarse-bred one of a less height. 

 Its length is 5 inches, width 4| 

 inches ; the breadth is variable ; 

 fig 155 ^^ at the toe and one of the quarters 



it is i^ inch, and at the heels as much as i^ inch. The 



