468 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



But smiths, to prevent this, pierce their shoes too near the 

 edge, which will in time ruin the foot. 



'The fourth rule is to mahe the lightest shoes you can, 

 according to the size of your horse, because heavy 

 shoes spoil the back-sinews and weary the horse ; and if 

 he happens to overreach, the shoes being heavy are more 

 easily pulled off.' ' Those who think it frugality to shoe 

 with thick and heavy shoes, and seldom, are deceived, for 

 they lose more by it than they gain, for thereby they not 

 only spoil the back-sinews but lose more shoes than if they 

 had been light.' 



Excessive paring with the ' butteris ' seems to have 

 been in vogue then as at a later day, for in recommending 

 a certain method of shoeing he remarks : ' Do not pare 

 your horses' feet almost to the quick, as some people do, 

 who think thereby to prevent the so frequent shoeing of 

 their horses. But if you know that your horses' hoofs 

 are smooth and tough, you may with the more confidence 

 pare his soles reasonably near.' 



This old hippiatrist, in fact, gives a few excellent direc- 

 tions for the management of the horse's feet, and evidently 

 far beyond the usual practice of his age; though mixed with 

 many which are bad. He condemns heavy and high cal- 

 kins, and admits that horses are much better without them 

 altogether. Though the rasp was in use, he does not ad- 

 vise its being put to the outer surface of the wall, and only 

 speaks of paring the frog when the heels are flat or low, and 

 that part of the foot is likely to come in contact with the 

 ground. For tjie cure of these flat feet, too, he recom- 

 mends the barbarous operation of barring (ligaturing) the 

 pastern veins, ' so that you may put a stop to the super- 



