28 



hind shoes ; and finding at the end of a year, that the shoes 

 of all the horses had been as fii-mly retained, as formerly, I 

 withdrew another nail from each shoe, leaving only five in the 

 fore shoes, and six in the hind : I found however that six 

 nads would not retain the hind shoe of a carriage horse without 

 allowing it sometimes to shift ; so I retiu'ned to seven in the 

 hind shoes, and have continued to employ that number ever 

 since ; but, finding that five retained the fore shoes as firmly, 

 as six had previously done, I further diminished their number ; 

 and at this time I have not a horse belonging to me with 

 more tlian three nails in eacli fore shoe, nor have I had for 

 the last fifteen years. 



For the first few years, that these experiments were in 

 progress, I superintended and directed the whole ojjeration 

 myself, and was always very careful to mark, that the nails 

 were not driven high up in the crust, but brouglit out as 

 soon, as possible ; and that they were very lightly driven up, 

 before the clenches were turned do'ftTi ; and not, as is generally 

 the case, forced up A^dth all the power, that the smith can 

 bring to bear upon them with his hammer. I mention these 

 circinnstances to show, that my object really was to ascertain 

 how little would retain a shoe ; and to what extent the foot 

 might be relieved from the evil of unnecessary restraint, a 

 matter sometimes of great moment, and at aU times desirable. 



The clenches should not be rasped away " too fine," but 

 turned down broad and firm. The practice of rasj^ing the 

 whole surface of the hoof, after the clenches have been 

 turned down, should never be permitted ; it destroys the 

 covering provided by nature as a protection against the too 



