60 



of the hoof, aiul, having se%vn the top edges together, attach 

 a small buckle and strap, and fasten it loosely around the 

 pastern joint above the hoof; plunge the foot mto a bucket 

 of water, and keep it there, until the cloth is thoroughly 

 saturated with wet ; then remove the bucket, and allow the 

 wet cloth to remain on, re-wetting it occasionally. This 

 shoi.dd never be done, when the horse's foot is heated from 

 recent exercise, as the sudden chill at sucli a time would 

 most likely bring on fever of the feet. The early morning 

 suggests itself, as the fittmg time for the employment of 

 this remedy, when the horse is neaily certain to have been 

 at rest for many hours. 



Stopping the feet at night is a very beneficial custom ; 

 and fi-esh cow dung is perhaps as good a thing, as can be 

 employed for the purpose ; it retains its moisture longer, than 

 clay, which is sometimes employed, and, when dry, is less hard 

 in the feet. The space within the shoe, between the sole 

 and the ground, being thus filled Avith an elastic mass, affords 

 an even support to the whole under surface of the sole, 

 resembling in some degree, what the unshod foot receives from 

 soft • ground ; and, I believe, the foot derives as much benefit 

 from this slight, but even support, wliile the horse is at rest, 

 as it does from the softening effect of the moisture upon the 

 horn. The fear of causing thrushes by the frequent use of 

 wet stopping has very little foundation ; for where the disease 

 is produced by moistui-e once, it is produced by bad shoeing 

 a thousand times ; indeed it is one of the commonest effects 

 of the resti'aint to the foot of l^ad shoeing, and never occurs 

 under any circumstances, where the foot is left free to expand 



