2i0 THE horse's rescue. 



put on the slices thin for several reasons ; one is this : I 

 want the frog to rest on the ground. After I get these 

 horses shod the same as before I nailed the shoes on. 

 If I raise the center of the foot up from the ground the 

 weight of the horse is in the center of each foot. Then 

 drive on hard, dry road. I could not drive five miles 

 before the coffin joint would be badly affected on all 

 their feet all out of harmony of action. Put in motion 

 in this condition causes unnatural heat. They would 

 settle down through the cup at the top until the frog 

 comes to a rest on the s:round in the center. At the 

 first start on this journey I would be all out of har- 

 mony. I do not want these horses to change any, 

 either way, if I can prevent it. This is the reason I 

 dress the heel of the foot flat and give the shoe flat 

 rest at the heel. I do not want any springing and 

 changing internally on any of these eight feet on this 

 pair of horses. The heel has some liberty as the feet 

 grow. Shod in this way they will spread out, if 

 proper care is taken of them, by small degrees, in 

 driving them. If the frog does rest on the ground I 

 am not smart enough to cure and keep cured stiff 

 horses, they standing in the barn week after week. I 

 drive horses to cure them and have them improve all 

 of the time, and if they are natural I do my work to 

 keep them natural. Another reason for not having 

 corks on these shoes: they are of no use on dry roads. 

 I do not want my horses up on stilts at any time. 

 Another reason for having the shoes light : the horses 

 will not raise their feet so high, the concussion on 

 their feet is not so great, and the greatest reason of all 

 is, it will not shipwreck me on the rond and at home. 



