260 Plain Rules for Shoeing. 



fessor Gamgee,* after quoting the above, stated that 

 among the horses of London 42 per cent, were lame, 

 while in Paris only 9 per cent, were subject to this form 

 of unsoundness. Present-day experience still reveals the 

 same state of things. The well-being of the best of 

 animals is ever sacrificed to widespread ignorance and 

 injustice. It is rare to find a shoeing-smith who possesses 

 a really intelligent acquaintance with the wonderful struc- 

 tures of the " horny box " j and we need not feel surprised 

 that he should treat it much as he would a similar box of 

 wood, or that our steed goes " gingerly," and hobbles so 

 painfully, that for our life we cannot make out what has 

 come over him. 



The secret of prolonged usefulness lies in the means 

 for a strict preservation of the foot. This is an experience 

 which many have gained only after years of bitter trial 

 and disappointment. 



The hoof is the fibrous horny box or case inside which 

 are fitted the sensitive parts. Its growth is secured from 

 above at the coronet downwards, where a special arrange- 

 ment exists for its secretion. The horny sole and frog 

 are the provision of a special secretion for the defence 

 of sensitive structures beneath the coffin-bone, &c. As 

 a whole, the hoof possesses a limited amount of elasticity, 

 but its power of resistance to concussion is remarkable. 

 It conducts heat feebly, and, with these qualities, proves 

 highly serviceable for protection ; while the substance, 

 insensibility, and constant growth render it an admirable 

 means for securing the usual iron defence — the shoe. 



It is a fatal mistake to cut, rasp, and burn the hoof as is 

 commonly done. Many forget the horse has to carry other 

 weight besides that of his own body, and in progression 

 he suffers from concussion in proportion as his natural 

 defence is weakened and reduced. This practice is 

 responsible for many forms of lameness besides those of 

 the feet, as splints, spavins, ringbones, sidebones, &c. 



The outer part of the wall or crust of the hoof, we have 

 said, grows downwards, and is composed of tough, longi- 

 tudinal fibres, the ends of which are presented to the 



* "Horse-shoeing an 1 Lameness." Longmans & Co. 187 1. 



