58 HORSES AND ROADS. 



india-rubber the shape of the foot surface, and the 

 horse went better— in fact, went on the road as if he 

 were on the soft. But I had to leave them off, 

 because the shoes were always coming off. To be 

 sure of their merits, I tried them on another horse ; 

 the result was just the same. I should say that the 

 hoof groivs very fast when shod with these cushions.' 

 Why did the hoof grow fast with them ? Why, be- 

 cause they caused sole pressure continually ; there 

 was no possible ' stopping ' with cowdung whilst they 

 were worn. 



The want of sole pressure, conjointly with the 

 weakening of the crust, when its inner and outer 

 layers (the sensitive and the insensitive) have be- 

 come diseased through rough and barbarous treat- 

 ment, and show a tendency to separate, often brings 

 about pumice foot. Pressure on the unpared sole, 

 in imitation of Nature, is the proper treatment to 

 effect its cure. Imitation of Nature should be the 

 universal law of shoeing. St. Bell says : ' No one 

 will venture to deny that, in the affair of shoeing, 

 reason directs us to a close imitation of Nature.' 

 The closest imitation of Nature that has ever yet 

 been arrived at is the Charlier tip — ' it gives great 

 security for travelling over the most slippery roads, 

 granite, or asphalte pavements ; and, in frosty 

 weather, no roughing is necessary.' This is ac- 

 counted for by the fact that by this system the 

 luhole of the bottom of the foot, excepting the 

 groove made for the insertion of the shoe, is left 

 entirely untouched by the knife; and the dense, 



