speaking of long toes, and that it weakens a horse's capacity 

 for work, horseshoers know it is nothing uncommon to re- 

 move an inch or more of surplus wall from horses' feet in 

 preparing them for shoes, so you see what the result can be 

 when horses' feet are neglected, the whole horse is abused. 

 It is not only a punishment to a horse to labor in such un- 

 natural conditions, but we are shortening his existence for 

 usefulness, because it causes extra wear and tear on the 

 joints and tendons that set the feet in motion and control 

 the swing of them, and what you are trying to save in 

 horseshoeing you are losing more than the price of it in 

 horse flesh, where he is performing the same amount of 

 work. Get your horses shod every four weeks, so he can 

 use his natural strength to full advantage. The horse will 

 last longer, as there will be no unnatural strain on any part 

 of the foot or parts above it. You see the foot is an unfin-. 

 ished part of the horse's anatomy. It changes and grows 

 irregularly, the shoers should understand how to prepare the 

 foot and construct shoes so that the motion is smooth and 

 without friction. Then there is no danger to the foot or the 

 part above it. You may say, this kind of reading would 

 have been very useful thirty or forty years ago ; I know you 

 are thinking of the automobile ; but you need information 

 of this kind worse now than it was needed forty years ago. 

 New discovery in horseshoeing is what you want and need. 

 People used to argue and said that nature always did her 

 work well and that horses, like men and women, were born 

 without shoes. This is very true, had each been permitted 

 to remain in the condition and surroundings in which they 

 were born, then neither of them would ever have needed 

 shoes. But we know it is different, we would not be satis- 

 fied today to use candles for lights that our parents got 

 along with fifty years ago. Horseshoeing, as humble as the 

 avocation may be, it behooves us to be consistent and to re- 

 joice that we may be numbered among the growing throng, 

 progressing in the onward march of thoughts, admitting 



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