12 ARTISTIC HORSE-SHOEING. 



shoes. Fig-. 4 represents a modern Portuguese shoe. Fig*. 

 5 a Persian shoe, while Fig". 6 shows a Moorish shoe. An 

 inspection of these crude specimens of horse-shoes will be 

 likely to suggest to the thoughtful reader that the people 

 of the East are by no means either inventive or progres- 

 sive. Placed alongside of modern horse-shoes these ancient 

 samples present a rather sorry appearance. In Fig. 7 will 



Fig. 7.— Old English Shoe in Use in the 18th Century. 



be seen the form of the old English horse-shoe used, 

 according to Ma^^hew, an English authority, at the com- 

 mencement of the 18th century. In comparison with the 

 Arabian and Moorish or Persian shoes this old English 

 shoe presents several important improvements. Instead of 

 being fastened b^^ the method emplo^^ed by the Arabs the 

 old English slioe was evidentl3^ nailed on the foot the same 

 as shoes are fastened on now. But to the horse-shoer of 

 that time it appeared necessary to employ many more nails 

 than are now considered essential. 



