488 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



against the navicular bone, as has been mentioned above, 

 and which, being repeated at every step the animal takes, 

 fatigues it, and induces inflammation. From thence often 

 arises the distention of the sheaths of tendons {molettes — 

 vulgo, " windgalls "), engorgements and swelling of the 

 tendons, etc., that are observed after long or rapid journeys. 

 These accidents arise less from the length of the journey, 

 as has been currently believed, than from the false practice 

 of paring the sole. 



' I am astonished that this method of shoeing has not 

 been employed long ago, and I have much trouble in 

 persuading myself that I am the inventor. I am more 

 inclined to believe that it is only a copy of that which 

 has been practised by the first artist who thought about 

 shoeing horses. 



' If my suspicions are correct, the oblivion into which 

 it has fallen proves nothing against its perfection, because 

 the good as well as the bad are alike liable to be forgotten. 

 The multitude, more credulous than enlightened, are 

 easily persuaded ; hence the long thick shoes, those with 

 calkins, then with thick heels, and afterwards the thin. 

 There is every reason to believe that if the poor animals 

 for whom all this has been done could be allowed to speak 

 as they must think, nothing of the kind would have taken 

 place, and they would have preferred their ancient arma- 

 ture, which, having only been designed to preserve the 

 crust, had certainly none of the inconveniences of that 

 employed now-a-days.' 



Lafosse's experience of this admirable mode of pro- 

 tecting, while preserving, the foot, was derived from a trial 

 of its advantages on more than 1800 horses; and his 



