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by good shoeing. The surest, and never faihng cure for 

 thrushes is " one sided nailing ;" in other words permitting 

 the foot to expand. I once had two bad cases of thrushes get 

 well during the time the horses were standing for four months 

 on wet sawdust without shoes ; the sawdust was not merely 

 damp, but saturated with water ; and the horses remained 

 upon it all day, but were removed at night into a dry place, 

 to sleep. Neither the long continued apphcation of excessive 

 moisture, nor the gloomy predictions of friends could prevent 

 the thrushes from getting well, when the foot was thus 

 permitted to expand freely to the weight of the horse. 



I may observe here, that this kind of treatment is far 

 preferable to turning horses out, either to grass, or straw 

 yard, and should always be substituted for it, whenever from 

 any cause they may require rest. 



Of course the continued use of wet sawdust will only be 

 needed, where the feet are much amiss ; but I believe, that 

 every horse, which is laid up with a view of obtaining 

 perfect rest for him, will be benefited by standing without 

 shoes upon it for two or three hours out of every twenty- 

 four, unless indeed he should happen to have weak flat feet, 

 in wliich case I sliould shoe him with leather ; the soles of 

 such feet, being for the most part already too thin, would be 

 rendered less able to resist the weight from above by the 

 softening effect of immediate contact with so much moisture; 

 I would not however on that account deprive the remainder 

 of the foot of the benefit, to be derived from it. 



It is essential, that the floor, upon which a horse is to 

 stand for any length of time Avithout shoes, should be 



