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CHAPTER XIV. 



IMPORTANCE OF SHOEING TO CIVILIZATION. THE GREEKS AND RO- 

 MANS. INCONVENIENCES ATTENDING THE EMPLOYMENT OF UN- 

 SHOD ANIMALS. ROADS AND CITIES. MANUAL LABOUR. INTRO- 

 DUCTION OF SHOEING, AND ITS EFFECTS. VARIETIES OF BREEDS 

 OF HORSES. CHANGES IN THE ART OF WAR. INCREASE IN 

 CAVALRY. ARMOUR. RIDING DOUBLE. HEAVY EQUIPMENT. IN- 

 CREASING IMPORTANCE OF SHOEING. EXAMPLES. NAPOLEOn's 

 RETREAT FROM MOSCOW. DANISH RETREAT FROM SCHLESWIG. 

 farriers' STRIKE IN PARIS. 



Thus far, then, have we endeavoured to trace the 

 history of horse-shoes and horse-shoeing. We have seen 

 that there is not sufficient evidence to testify that the Greeks 

 and some other ancient races whom we may designate 

 ' horse-loving,' employed an iron defence nailed to the feet 

 of their solipeds ; that, though the Romans of a compara- 

 tively later age must have, to some extent, been aware 

 of, and perhaps practised, this art, yet their writers do not 

 mention it ; and, from the testimonies before us, we might 

 almost be inclined to conclude that the Romans only 

 resorted to it in those countries which they had invaded 

 or conquered, and where they already found it in use ; 

 that shoeing with iron plates and nails was known to 

 some, at any rate, of the Celtic and Germanic tribes 

 settled in the West probably long before our era ; and 



