422 THE HORSE. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

 SHOEING.* 



THE art of shoeing appears to have been unknown to the ancients, 

 although the need of it was greatly felt, especially in the rough 

 campaigning and long marches constantly recurring in those warlike 

 times. In several campaigns the cavalry was rendered worthless 

 and was disbanded on account of the bad condition of their horses' 

 feet, and the animals themselves were relieved from duty until 

 their hoofs were restored. The value of a horse depended more 

 upon the soundness and strength of his hoof than upon any other 

 qualification, and various methods of rendering it harder and more 

 serviceable were proposed by Xenophon and other early writers. 

 But while acknowledging the importance of a sound, vigorous hoof, 

 and striving to harden and preserve it, it does not seem to have 

 occurred to them to protect it by fastening to it by nails, a band 

 or shoe of iron, although Beckman states that horse shoes and 

 nails have been found in the graves of some German and Vandal 

 tribes of unknown antiquity in the northern part of Germany. 

 To William the Conqueror tradition ascribes the introduction of the 

 practice of shoeing into England, whence it has remained until the 

 present time. 



When the delicacy of organization of the foot of the horse is 

 considered, its extreme sensitiveness and wonderful adaptability for 

 the purpose of locomotion, the enormous wear and tear incident 

 upon constant use in the service of man, its liability to abuse and 

 injury, and the consequent suffering of the dumb animal and pecuni- 

 ary loss to the owner, it is surprising that there has been so little real 

 improvement in the art. While the past half century has been 

 so fruitful of results in almost every other branch of industry, it 

 has witnessed few or none in this. This is due in great measure 

 to the indifference of the artisan to whom the care of the horse's 

 foot is committted, who, ' ignorant of the nature and structure 

 of the living member before him, so recklessly handles and 

 mutilates it, -in much the same manner as his ancestors years 

 before him. 



The feet of most of the horses of the present day, and especially 

 those used for drafty purposes and heavy work in our large cities, 

 are in bad condition, and more subjects are brought to the knack- 



* This article was prepared at our request, by a gentleman who has given 

 the subject much time, and patient investigation. EDITOR. 



