43 



off, and thereby saving the foot and leg from a fearful 

 strain : when the shoe is so badly fitted, that it is capable 

 of hitching in any thing, and the wrench is very violent, it 

 had better come off. 



Although I do not pretend to any great practical experience 

 in the matter of plating race horses, I may still hope to 

 be excused, if I offer a few general remarks upon the 

 subject, because I feel very strongly, that a greater number 

 lose their races from the situation and number of the nails, 

 employed in plating, than from any other cause whatever, 

 not even excepting the trickery and tampering, sometimes 

 practised, but oftener, I believe, unjustly suspected. 



The dread of casting a plate is so great, that it is no 

 uncommon thing to see it secured by eight or nine nails, 

 extending from heel to heel. Now it is impossible, that a 

 hoof, so fettered, can yield or exj^and to any force, applied 

 to it through the medium of the weight and power of the 

 horse ; and it is also certain, that, if the hoof do not expand, 

 the violence, with which a race horse lashes the ground at 

 every stride, must needs squeeze the sensitive parts very 

 uncomfortably between the bones of the foot and this 

 imyielding hoof, and deter him in a great degree from 

 throwing his whole weight with all his heart into his feet, 

 as he does, when he has no apprehension of producing pain 

 thereby. 



Now let us see, what the effect of stepping short, say 



only one inch upon each stride, would be in running over 



the Derby course, (a mile and a half) The estimated 



stride of a race horse averages twenty four feet ; it would 

 G- 



