THE HORSE S RESCrE. 95 



should get the start of me, and I prevented it bj soak. 

 ing and packing with sponge, as I have previously de- 

 scribed, after I had spread his feet, I think this 

 horse's feet are soft enongh to spread, and I am going 

 to try to spread them. The shop is locked ; curtains 

 up at the windows. I am alone. I cannot hold his 

 feet and spread them ; mv arms are not strong enouoh 

 to do it in this position. I can make a screw, but that 

 will take me nearly all day, and my time is growino- 

 shoi-t. Tliis horse is expected to be on tl^e road to- 

 morrow. It will be of no use to ask these fighters to 

 help me, and I have other reasons for not Vv'antino- 

 their assistance, whicli I will explain hereafter. I will 

 take Mike to my barn, and get my wife to hold up 

 liis feet. The reader can see a frail woman holding 

 up the foot of a horse that weighs about twelve hun- 

 dred, thrown off his base bv contraction and leverage 

 struggling to stand on one foot which he takes away 

 many times; it hurts him so to stand. Do you know 

 s]}e was in great danger of getting hurt? She weighs 

 about one hundred pounds. We were alone in this 

 barn, but we accomplislied this difficult task. It is 

 two good men's work. We flattened his feet out by 

 spreading about three-fourths of an inch. Look at the 

 bottom now. It has the same appearance to look at 

 that it did when we commenced work on it, but the 

 cup is all gone, and the foot is flat Who can tell how 

 this is done unless he sees the operation ? I^o man. 

 This horse's heels are low now. I had cut them down 

 half or more, and expanding lowered them still further 

 The horse's heels are wide ; his foot is nearly round ; 

 he has got the colt's foot on, and the structure of his 



