SPRAINS OF TENDONS, LIGAMENTS AND MUSCLES. 295 



conditions give it; we have heard it argued that the heavy draught 

 horse could not start and move such loads as are required of him 

 without the aid of calkins and toe pieces; our reply to this ob- 

 jection is that any sound cart horse can start and move any load 

 whatever that he can reasonably be expected to draw, as well or 

 even better without shoes than with them, because in that state 

 he will plant his foot on the ground naturally; toe pieces and 

 calkins enable an animal to move a heavier load than he could do 

 without them, provided he learns to stick his toes against the 

 artificially laid street pavements; this leverage, however, enables 

 the horse to put more force and power into his efforts than his 

 natural strength warrants; hence sprained tendons and ligaments, 

 ruptured diaphragms and such like injuries follow. On stone, 

 wood or asphalt pavements, such as are laid down in large towns, 

 the natural character of the horny sole and frog renders it 

 specially adapted to the obtainment of a firm grip and foothold, 

 whereas so far as the stone and asphalt pavements are concerned, 

 it is well known an iron shoe renders foothold impossible. 



To take another objection, it is said that carriage horses whose 

 work lies mainly on countrj^ roads of the macadam type, on which 

 are flint stones ©r sharp gravel, would soon wear away the horn, 

 which would become abnormally thin; that the soles would not 

 resist the bruising on round stones, and very shortly the animal 

 would fall lame; this conclusion w^e affirm is hypothetical and 

 incorrect; it is quite possible that the wall of the foot would, as it 

 wore away, leave behind some fibres of incompletely worn horn; 

 and that the foot would, if nothing worse came of it, look untidy; 

 this objection is easily overruled; the frays of horn fibre could be 

 rasped away; or if some sort of shoe must be worn for the sake of 

 neatness and show, then the Charlier tips could be adopted, which 

 are mere bands of steel, the width of the wall in a groove of which 

 they are seated flush with the surface of the sole so that a full 

 bearing is obtained upon the sole and frog; this is the nearest 

 artificial approach to nature. Hunters, steeplechasers and flat 

 racers, in which class we include also trotters, invariably get over 

 the ground better and more safely with nature's foot than the}- do 

 with the artificial provisions of the shoeing .smith; moreover, the 

 accidents and injuries due to jar, concussion and sprain are 

 infinitely less numerous when the sole, bars and frog are left un- 



