APPENDICES. 223 



by-the way, never heard of in this part of this very 

 verdant isle — that horses not only could walk, but run 

 and work, without shoes. 



Having read the letters of ' Free Lance,' and thinking 

 there might be some truth in the plan, I determined, 

 when I got as far as the 14th chapter, that 1 would make 

 a trial. Accordingly, I took the shoes off a three-year-old 

 colt in daily farm work. 



My farrier prophesied that I would not only ruin the 

 feet, but the horse ; but the horse is now, at the end of 

 eight weeks, in the full enjo^nnent of all his faculties, and 

 has four good, sound feet, although I have driven him daily 

 from four to fourteen miles (Irish measure) regularly. 



I would have done as ' Free Lance ' advised, and put 

 on three-quarter shoes, and come gradually to the bare 

 foot, only I could not get a farrier either able or willing 

 to put them on. This I believe to be the right plan, but 

 in a backward country place it is hard to get the work 

 rightly done. 



In the hope that many will be tempted to try as I 

 have done, I am, &c., 



Co. Armagh, June 18, 1880. D. S. 



Appendix M. 



Unshod Horses. 



SiR^ — Since I wrote my last letter, I have taken the 

 shoes off a pony that I use for driving, churning, &c. I 

 begin to work very gradually, not more than two miles 

 (Irish) for the first few days, increasing the length of the 

 journey as the foot gets hard. 



