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APPENDICES. 



Appendix A. 



Horse-Shoeing . 



(LETTER OF ABERLORNA.) 



I HAVE read with great interest the letters of ^Free 

 Lance ' upon the subject of horse-shoeing. Seeing he 

 so strongly advised using tips in place of entire shoes, I 

 resolved to tiy them, and, accordingly, rode down to the 

 smith's shop (ten miles off) to get them put on, and see 

 he did it properly. When I arrived I told him what I 

 wished ; he laughed, and said they never would do on 

 the roads, but would put them on if I wished, and so put 

 on they were. I rode home again, ten miles, over a road 

 covered with new metal in a simply abominable state, 

 and he arrived all safe. Two days after I rode down 

 again to convince the smith there was something in the 

 system, and he was quite surprised the horse had not 

 broken down on the way home after he was shod. I 

 must say, however, he certainly went tender, but this 

 appears to be wearing away in a great degree, and it is 

 surprising how hard and firm the soles of his feet have 

 got. He has naturally rather flat and tender feet. I 

 am so far convinced that this is the correct way of shoe- 

 ing horses that, if all goes well, I shall have all the 



