SHOEING. 315 



raiigement of clothing in his subsequent work. With this tackle 

 on, and long boots on his fore-legs to guard against his striking 

 them, the colt is led about the country, either by the breaker 

 on foot or mounted on a steady hack ; ancTfor a week he may 

 generally be confined to soft turf, which will not require his 

 being shod. Even on such ground as this he will be gradually 

 accustomed to carts, wagons, droves of sheep, oxen, &c., and 

 will daily acquire more confidence in himself and in his leader. 

 No bit should be put in his mouth as yet, for its too early use 

 while he is still shy and inclined to struggle, only makes him 

 more timid, and by far less manageable than with the cavesson 

 alone. 



SHOEING. 



Shoeing must be commenced as soon as the colt is in a state 

 to be taken on the roads, because it will often happen that he 

 Avill be inclined to jump and plunge on the meeting of unac- 

 customed objects; and if his feet are unshod he will break 

 the crust, and do that amount of injury, which it will take many 

 weeks to restore. It is better, therefore, to put some short shoes 

 on his fore-feet ; but his hind-feet may still perhaps be left in 

 their natural state for some time longer. I do not myself see 

 the advantage of this delay, but it is very commonly practised 

 with young racing stock ; and with wild or badlj^-handled colts, 

 it is often necessary, from the greater resistance which they 

 make to the blacksmith beliind than before. The shoes or tips 

 should be nailed on very carefully, and they should be very neat 

 and light in their make ; the feet also should afterwards be regu- 

 larly examined, and the shoes removed every three weeks. 

 It is a very common practice for the blacksmith to cut out the 

 heels of these colts, but I am satisfied, that by the use of tips only 

 the heels may left in a state of nature, and will require little or 

 no clearing out until the horse is full-shod, and the frog and heel 

 protected from the friction of the ground. 



TTING-UP IN THE STABLE. 



The next process is the tying-up in the stall, which the colts 

 may now be accustomed to, inasmuch as they have fully proved 

 the power of the halter or leading-rein in their struggles to avoid 



