80 THE horse's rescue. 



tion. He bad a thin-shelled, flat foot. He was lame. 

 His foot was large, and shod too large — up on corks- 

 center up from ground ; his foot spread too mucli, and 

 was constantly springing at every step from the weight 

 of the horse. It made him lame. I put clips on the 

 shoe at the quarters to prevent the springing. He 

 went off very well. I told the owner he must not 

 leave the shoes on more than four weeks ; if lie did, it 

 would play mischief with the coffin-joint; the sole 

 w^ould rise in center. What good did that do? In 

 nearly six months after I saw the horse — so stiff he 

 could hardly walk, with the same shoes on. They 

 had not been set. I talked with the owner about it. 

 He did not like my shoeing. He liked that lever on 

 the toe, contraction, coffin-joint lameness, perished 

 shoulders, and a deformed horse, better. It did not 

 injure my business any. He had watered or fed him 

 three or four times a day. "They say" he is found- 

 ered, and that clears up the business. 



Ten days have passed since I pulled that horse out 

 of the straw. Ho has worked drawing lumber eyery 

 day. It was rainy during this time, which was in my 

 favor. I did not have to pack his feet. They soaked 

 while at work. "Hello, boy I drive up here." (It 

 was a boy that drove him.) Let us examine this 

 horse's feet and body. He is working back on his 

 l)ase fast. His hind legs stand back at least one foot 

 further than he did when we pulled him out of the 

 straw. Let us look at the heels of feet all around. 

 They are all spread a quarter of an inch over the 

 shoe. Take him off the wagon ; let us spread these 

 shoes out even with foot, plump; this foot is flatten- 



