Il6 EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 



punishment from concussion and not from a faint heart, the 

 foot not being properly protected. I really think the Lockey 

 pad one of the greatest discoveries of the age as a protection 

 to the foot of a horse. It is a piece of heavy leather, going 

 over the entire foot. It is kept in place by the nails of the 

 shoe, at the toe, and is rivited at the heels when used with an 

 open shoe. A wet sponge is placed under the leather next to 

 the foot, with the thickest part across the heel over the frog. 

 That adds to the elasticity of the frog and also protects the 

 entire sole of the foot. Some people object to the pad on ac- 

 count of the damp sponge. It being confined causes a sour, 

 bad smell and they argue it will rot the foot. But it will not 

 if it is properly cared for, as follows: Once or twice a week 

 take some diluted carbolic acid, raise your leather a little with 

 a foot pick and pour some in, which will cleanse and purify it. 

 I many times use the pad with a bar shoe. In that case it is 

 not necessary to rivit it, as the bar will keep it in place. I 

 have in some cases used oakum instead of a sponge, but I 

 prefer the latter, as the oakum gets dry and hard very soon. 

 The sponge is moist, soft and keeps the foot nearest to the 

 state of nature of anything I have ever tried. There are ex- 

 ceptions in all cases, for I have had horses that were not bene- 

 fited with the Lockey pad or any device that cov^ered the sole 

 of the foot. They would not or could not go a bit with it on. 

 They seemed to want all the pressure on the wall of the foot 

 and the frog. In these cases I used a bar shoe, and have it well 

 concaved on the under side, reaching nearly to the nails, so as 

 not to touch the sole in any place, bringing the bearing on 

 the outer shell and frog and putting a heavy piece of Kersej 

 around under the shoe. It should usually be about half an 

 inch wide. This would make a great difference in the speed 

 of my horse, ranging from three to five seconds better than 

 any other way I could shoe them. Blacksmiths seem to have 

 a mania to cut and carve a horse's foot, as much as a Yankey 

 enjoys whittling a pine stick with a sharp knife. They will 

 carve out the sole, rasp off the toe, open up the heel, as they 



