descent of tlie sole as effectually, as an unseated 



shoe would do. Sufficient space to admit the point 



of a ^Dicker to pass freely all around between the 



shoe and the foot is all, that is necessary. 



The "\veb of the shoe, it will be observed, is just twice as 



wide at the toe, where the cover miglit well have been spared, 



as it is at the heels, where protection was most needed. 



Fio-. 2. a. The heel of an even thickness with the rest of 

 the shoe. 

 h. The mark of the crust with the termination well de- 

 fined ; showing, that the heel had been supported. 

 e. The seatino' carried throuo-h to the heeL 



d. The nail holes properly placed. 



e. The fiat surface of sufficient width everywhere to 



support the crust. 



ff. The seating less hollowed, than in Fig. 1, and the 

 web of equal width at the toe and heel. 



The shoe Fig. 1, I found upon the foot of a horse, wliich I 

 purchased for a friend several years ago ; and it is worthy of 

 remark, that it was placed there by a smith, who enjoyed in 

 a very extensive district the reputation of being a particularly 

 good shoer. If gentlemen could only be persuaded to inform 

 themselves sufficiently, to enable them to give their directions 

 with the confidence, that a knowledge of the subject is sure 

 to engender, and to hnow, when the work is finished, whether 

 those directions have been complied with, they would drive 

 such men as these from their lamentable ignorance of the 

 first i^rinciples of their art into something like a rational 

 view of the subject ; but where gentlemen are contented to 

 remain without knowledge, smiths may be excused for not 

 informing themselves. 



Note. It may not be uninteresting to some of my readers 

 to learn, that the horse in c^uestion, when it was purchased 

 in the year 1844, pointed a great deal in the stable after 

 work ; but good shoeing and a loose box caused the pointing 

 to cease altogether in a few months ; and the horse con- 

 tinued to do very efficient work up to 1859. 



