34 



by offering ledges for the bind shoe to catch upon, or stiff 

 ground to cling to. It is far wiser to remove them alto- 

 gether, and present only rounded surfaces, as seen in Fig. 8, 

 off which the hind shoe would glance in case of accidental 

 contact, and stiff ground fail to act upon. 



I have often heard it objected, that, where it becomes 

 expedient to insert leather between the foot and the shoe, 

 it is not possible for five nails to retain it ; but this is a 

 false conclusion, drawn from tlie clumsy manner, in whicli 

 the ends and edges of the leather are permitted to project 

 beyond the shoe at the quarters and ^ 



heels, as shown in Fig. 9. Now if ^ 

 these unsightly projections formed any 

 necessary part of shoeing with leather, 

 or produced the smallest beneficial effect, 

 there would be reasonable grounds for 

 questioning the efiiciency of five nails ; but as they are 

 only useless encumbrances, it follows, that any argument 

 in favor of the necessity of more nails, founded upon their 

 presence, must be altogether inadmissible, particularly when 

 it is remembered, that the bare fact of the foot requiring 



leather at all implies, that it stands 

 in need of the greatest freedom from 

 restraint, which can be extended to 

 it. I have made many experiments 

 upon the subject, and am convinced, 

 that, where the leather is cut to 

 the exact shape of the shoe, and finished at the heels, as 



Fig-.IO 



