[ 85 ] 



medy them for the future : one is that the effort 

 of the weight of a horfe does not bear either 

 upon the toe or the heel, but on the middle be- 

 tween both ; the other fhews that the greater 

 the dillance of the fole from the ground, or 

 from whatfoever point of fupport, the more the 

 pufhing of the coronary-bone upon the nut- 

 bone, will fatigue the nerve or tendon upon 

 which it refts, by the inordinate diftenfion it 

 undergoes at every ftep toe horfe takes *. 



We find therefore that in our prefent method, 

 a long flioe is not only perfe&ly ufelefs, but it is 

 even very prej j.dicial ^ in thefirfl: place it will be 

 lefs folid ; — fecondly, the horfe's heels coming 

 to fmk upon thofe of the fhoes, the longer the 

 lever, the greater will be the drag upon the 

 clinches of the nails at the toe ; and we often 

 fee horfes, having long fhoes, ftrike them off 

 in walking upon the befl ground. 



They often alfo lofe their fhoes in flifF or 

 tough clay, for they are apt to flick the fafter 

 for being fo long. 



Again when the flioe-heel happens between 

 two pavement ilones, the fhoe comes off. 



The fame thing very otten happens when 

 they pafs into the doors of coach houfes, which 

 have commonly bars of iron along the thre- 

 fhold. 



An old colonel of horfe told me that horfes 



* See the anatomical plates, which fiiew the ftrudure of 

 a horfe's foot. 



very 



