45 



for there is nothing more certain, than the fact, that a horse 

 cannot go his best pace, unless his feet are allowed to expand 

 freely to his weight at every stride. A ready way of 

 permitting this expansion woidd be the adoption of three- 

 quarter plates, extending from the outer heel to the com- 

 mencement of the inner quarter, which would effectually 

 protect those parts, most exposed to wear and tear in the 

 generality of horses' feet, viz. from the inner toe across the 

 foot to the outer quarter. Such a plate might be very 

 securely retained by six nails, distributed between the outer 

 heel and inner toe, thereby reserving to the whole inner 

 side of the hoof its uncontrolled power of expansion. 



I turn now to the consideration of a subject of fully as 

 much importance to the health and soundness of a horse's 

 foot, as good shoeing itself; I mean that inestimable blessing 

 to him, freedom of motion in the stable. The advantages of 

 a loose box are so little understood by horse-masters in 

 general, that its usefulness is almost entirely limited in their 

 estimation to sickness and disease ; and it is no uncommon 

 sight to behold two or three loose boxes untenanted, because 

 forsooth there ai-e no sick horses ui the stud. 



I was first led to divide my stable into boxes instead of 

 stalls from motives of compassion for my horse, and a desire 

 to rid myself of the uncomfortable feeling, it always produces 

 in me, to see so docile and generous an animal subjected to 

 even greater restraint, than a wild beast in a menagerie ; for 

 the lion, or tiger is permitted freely to traverse his small 

 den, while the poor horse is chained by the head to a fixed 

 point in his still smaller den, a prisoner twice imprisoned, 



