22 



receives its form from the shoe, an inference, I take it, 

 drawn from tlie feet of Chinese ladies, but totally unsup- 

 ported by any tiring, which happens to the foot of the 

 horse ; still it does exist, and I have no doubt, tends in 

 a great degree to keep up the prejudice in favour of open 

 heeled shoes. The truth really is, that the shape of the 

 shoe cannot by iiossibihty influence the shape of the foot, for 

 the foot, being elastic, expands to the weight of the horse 

 in precisely the same degree, wliether it be resting upon 

 the most open, or the most contracted shoe : it is tlie 

 situation of the nails, and not the shape of the shoe, that 

 determines the form of the foot ; and, whether the shoe be 

 wide, or nan-ow, if the heels and quarters of both sides be 

 nailed to it, the foot will inevitably become smaller and 

 smaller, and the heels more and more contracted. The most 

 open shoe will avail no more, than the narrowest ; if the 

 naUs on the contrary be placed in the outside quarter and 

 toe, leaving the heels and quarters of the inside, which are 

 the most expansive portions, free,""' no shape, that we can 

 give to the shoe, can of itself change the form of the foot ; 

 for, supposing the shoe to be too contracted, the foot will 

 expand out over it, provided it be not restrained by the 

 too backward placmg of tlae nails. I would not however 

 be understood to mean, that the shape of the shoe is 

 therefore of no importance, for I trust, I have aheady 

 proved the contrary, whilst considering the miscliievous 

 tendency of that form, which is " well set ofi" at the heels," 

 inviting, as it were with open arms, every hard substance 



* Plate 5, fig 1. 



