208 THE horse's rescue. 



you how I would shoe a pair of horses to perform a 

 journey of a thousand miles, and what I would do 

 after the journey. I cannot tell you as well as I could 

 if you and I were standing by and looking on this pair 

 of horses. They need a little dressing on all of their 

 feet, some in one way, some in another, and they all 

 vary in some way and in many degrees ; and all horses 

 do more or less. True up ; do not forget this heel and 

 toe business and lever on the toe ; it is growing all the 

 time; it is not going to wear off much. It will take 

 about a month, we will say, to make this journey. I 

 am ffoincr to shoe these horses and drive and take care 

 of them myself. (I would trust them in no man's 

 hands.) Then I would know they were cared for. 

 The colt's foot on the horses you are shoeing in shape 

 is one thing to look to. Shoe thin and light. After 

 trueing up the feet let the shoes follow the shell clear 

 around the heel ; shoe only a little longer at heel than 

 the foot. Flat rest on shoe at the heel ; dress foot to 

 fit and fit it. No spring in any way. Make the toe a 

 little shorter than natural, for this reason, it is grow- 

 ing all of the time, and this will save the cords. Not 

 ar cork on these shoes, the roads are dry and hard. 

 Nail with very small nails ; nail in toe ; no nails back 

 of the widest part of the foot; the heel should have 

 liberty, as all of the foot should, but it cannot if it is 

 ironed. Every night, after driving all day on hard 

 roads, the horse's feet will have unnatural heat. Do 

 not forget your horses have got feet on their hind 

 legs. B'Ut few have noticed this. They get hot too. 

 They travel the same distance that his forward feet 

 do, and the concussion is about the same, 1 carry a 



