236 BAD TO SHOE. 



young horse-shoer near there who claimed to have a secret 

 by which he could make any horse, no matter how vicious, 

 stand gently to be shod. I stated that it could not be done ; 

 that the man had undoubtedly learned some simple method 

 of control which gave him power to shoe many quite bad 

 cases ; but that really bad cases could not be controlled by 

 any such treatment. It was arranged that I should be ad- 

 vised when the man had a bad case to shoe. Upon being 

 notified. I called, and stated to the man that if he had any 

 point which I did not understand, by which he could make 

 a horse stand to be shod better and easier than I was able 

 to do, I would give him $100 for the secret. His control 

 was obtained by the four-ring bit, which was nothing new 

 to me. I told him that his over-confidence would, cause 

 him trouble when he chanced to get a really bad case to 

 shoe, and was not surprised when soon afterward informed 

 by the Dr. that in trying to shoe a bad horse the man got 

 kicked across the shop, and was seriously hurt. It was con- 

 sidered a good joke upon the man, as the result was just as 

 I predicted. 



A great many other palliative means might be men- 

 tioned ; such as tying a rope or rein to the foot and passing 

 it back through a ring attached to the tail, so that 

 the foot can be pulled back and held up. But should 

 the horse resist very hard, there is danger by this 

 method of the horse's being seriously strained or injured. 

 Another method is to buckle a strap around the foot be- 

 low the fetlock, and around the leg above the gambrel, 

 which keeps it flexed. This is also objectionable because 

 of the severe struggle to resist restraint, and the danger of 

 falling. 



