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imperfection of the common method of (hoe- 

 ing, and of the advantage of the new way, I 

 refer him to making the experiment ; afluring 

 him he is very much miftaken, if he takes all 

 I have faid, for a fimple project, which would 

 have no other merit than to have been formed 

 from a meer rational theory. I aflert to him that 

 my notions have more folidity, and that in 

 praiflng my new method of fhoeing, I declare 

 nothing but a fact a long time ago put in ex- 

 ecution, and confirmed by practice. 



The marquis de L. O *** colonel of horfe, 

 and a lover of horfes, to whom I mentioned 

 this new way of ihoeing in October 1753, 

 knowing the ftructure of a horfe's foot, told 

 me he thought it an ufeful and good way, and 

 that he had a mind to have his horfes mod fo ; 

 in fhort he had it done, and tried it upon 

 fmooth pavements as well as upon ice -, and 

 although the roads were almoft impaflable this 

 year 1754, his horfes never Humbled; and he 

 recommended to me to go on with the fame 

 method. 



I have fhod in this manner for a great num- 

 ber of houfes in Paris ; the firft effay was made 

 upon my own horfe, who draws my carriage 

 to this day ; he ufed to flip frightfully in go- 

 ing, though he was mod with cramps all round. 

 But as foon as I had mod him in my new way, 

 he became as fure footed, as if he always 

 walked upon good ground. I even proved in 



the 



