XI. 



PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



I HAVE been induced at the solicitation of several friends, 

 who have deplored to me their total want of anything like 

 useful, or practical knowledge upon the subject of shoeing, to 

 embody for their guidance some rough notes, which I had 

 made upon soundness of the horse's foot in general, and on 

 shoeing in particular. In offering them to the public I beg 

 to premise, tliat I have not the smallest intention of, what 

 is called, writing a book, least of all a scientific book. My 

 sole object is to communicate in the most familiar language, 

 the subject will admit of, the result of several years' observa- 

 tion, and of much tedious experiment, undertaken with a 

 view of ascertaining, what mode of shoeing, system of stabling, 

 and quantity of exercise, promised the fairest prospect of pre- 

 serving the foot of the horse in soundness and comfort to 

 himself, and usefulness to his owner for the longest period. 



I disclaim all pretension to any new discovery in the art 

 of shoeing : amateurs' discoveries are for the most part of 

 small value. I have preferred unscrupulously availing myself 

 of the labours of professional and practical men by carefully 

 examining their systems, trying their plans, and ultimately 

 adopting that, which appeared the best calculated to insure 



