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For feveral years pall the method of cramps 

 have been left off, infiead of which flrong heels 

 have been brought into ufe^ but the more 

 able farriers perceiving the abufe of fuch, now 

 keep the heels equal to the reft of the fhoe. 



Every nation thought themfelves right, and 

 believe fo ftill ; nor will any of them change 

 the manner oi fhoeing. The foreigners who 

 are lovers of horfes, and who come into this 

 kingdom, are a flrong proof of this; for almoft 

 all of them bring- with them a farrier of their 

 own country -, being ftrongly of opinion that 

 their methods are preferable to ours. 



But we are pretty even with them in our opi- 

 nions of them, for we generally ufe the fame 

 precaution when we travel into their coun- 

 tries. 



It mufl not be fuppofed that the difference 

 of the ground, caufes any manner of difference 

 in the methods of fhoeing, which I have fome- 

 times heard mentioned as a caufe ; for we daily 

 fee here horfes fhod in the Englifh, German, 

 and Spanifh manner, and yet go upon our 

 ground neither better nor worfe than thofe fhod 

 in the French method -, but only that this prac- 

 tice is fcarce better in one country than ano- 

 ther, and that in all places it is rather a matter 

 of fancy and cuilom than of confideration and 

 reafon. 



It appears to me that the cuftom of fhoeing 

 horfes was a good one, and even neceffary up- 



F 2 on 



