FARRIERY. 



with infinite advantage to the public, and 

 with no less credit to himself. 



A sum is allowed annually by Parlia- 

 ment towards the support of the college, 

 which also derives some aid from the fees 

 of students, and from subscription. The 

 donation of twenty guineas makes a sub- 

 scriber for life, and the payment of two 

 guineas yearly gives the same title for 

 that term. In either case, the privilege 

 of sending two horses to the veterinary 

 hospital, free of all charges, except for 

 keep, is thus acquired. His Majesty has 

 given considerable importance to the in- 

 stitution, by requiring that all veterinary 

 surgeons employed in the army should 

 have passed examination at the college ; 

 and he has eminently served the whole of 

 the cavalry corps, by conferring on those 

 surgeons the rank of commissioned offi- 

 cers. The various lecturers on medicine 

 and surgery, who have so handsomely 

 contributed their efforts towards the 

 success of this important establishment, 

 have on all occasions vied in promoting' 

 its welfare, and in extending its influ- 

 ence, by allowing the students to attend 

 at their respective lectures, free of ex- 

 pense, those liberal professors have es- 

 sentially served the institution. 



We shall now endeavour to lay before 

 our readers a concise account of the pre- 

 sent improved mode of shoeing, and of 

 treating diseases, as practised at the col- 

 lege. 



The first object which comes under 

 notice is, the mechanical operation of 

 shoeing. It would be entering on too 

 extensive a field, were we to enumerate 

 the various forms that have been recom- 

 mended, together with the reasons as- 

 signed for the supposed superiority of 

 each : we must content ourselves with 

 describing the method now in use. 



Mr. Coleman has the shoes made three 

 times as thick at the toe as at the heels, 

 because they wear more for ward than be- 

 hind. By this means the heels are less 

 oppressed with weight, and the frog is 

 allowed to come down to the ground : a 

 matter of extreme importance. The nails 

 are all placed forward, four on each side, 

 but not approaching too near the heels, 

 that they may not obstruct the elastic 

 powers of those parts. The old method 

 of fullering, i. e. making a groove in the 

 shoe, being found injurious, by often 

 breaking away the heads of the nails, they 

 are now counter-sunk in conical or 

 wedge-shaped holes, so that they maybe 

 driven up close to their thickest parts, 

 and be out of the way of accident. By 



this means the nails and shoes appear as 

 one body, and always wear together. 



For horses which go in shafts, or are 

 used in hunting, it is usual to make shoes 

 with only one heel, which should be out- 

 ward. The horse's heel must be rather 

 lowered on that side, and the inner heel 

 of the shoe somewhat thickened, so as to 

 balance, and bear equally. By this easy 

 precaution a good footing is obtained, 

 and cutting is effectually prevented. 

 The best breadth for the shoe of a medi- 

 um sized horse is said to be one inch at 

 the toe, and three quarters at the heel ; 

 the weight about eighteen or twenty 

 ounces. Light saddle-horses should not 

 have shoes exceeding sixteen ounces; 

 and, unless local circumstances prevail, 

 twelve ounces will be generally found 

 preferable. 



In order to fit the shoe without causing 

 the horse to stand too much on his heels, 

 the under part of the crust, or wall of the 

 hoof, is pared away, to receive the excess 

 of thickness in front ; for the bottom of 

 the shoe ought to be perfectly flat, with- 

 out any stubs or calkings in front. Paring 

 away the heels is a most destructive prac- 

 tice, except in case of absolute excres- 

 sence in those parts; nor should the bars 

 (or diagonal ridges) that extend from 

 the heels to the frog, or central projection, 

 ever be cut more than is absolutely pro- 

 per for the purpose of keeping them in 

 a clean and healthy state. When it is 

 considered how much the elastic power 

 of the heels depends on the bars*, which 

 act as a spring between them and the 

 frog, it must appear unreasonable that 

 they should be shaved away, as is too of- 

 ten done by farriers, under the idea of 

 preventing corns : though by such a pro- 

 cess corns are created. A good open 

 heel is the indication of a powerful foot ; 

 hence the sides of shoes ought not to be 

 much contracted. When the heels are 

 tender, what is called a bar-shoe ought 

 to be applied. By this simple contriv- 

 ance, which saves them from pressure 

 on uneven surfaces, many a horse has 

 been found serviceable, that must else 

 have been condemned to the slaughter- 

 house. 



The frog appears to be the part on 

 which the horse chiefly depends for a 

 spring, or resistance, at the bottom of his 

 foot. If this part does not touch the 

 ground, the whole motion will be de- 

 rived from the upper parts of the limb, 

 and a very uneasy gait will inevitably 

 follow. This points out the necessity for 

 leaving it fully at liberty to come in con- 



