ii6 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



I much prefer using a stouter plate — in fact, a compro- 

 mise between the plate and shoe used in training. Such 

 a one for an Arab will weigh about 3 J oz., and ought to 

 last through three weeks' work, and may be made | in. 

 broad all round. Plates and light shoes may have a clip 

 in front for the fore feet, to give them additional hold. 

 Nails for plates should be much lighter than those for 

 ordinary shoes. An English plate, such as those used at 

 Newmarket, weighs about 3 oz., is about ^ in. broad, \ in. 

 thick, and is fullered. They are made out of specially 

 prepared bars of iron. The hind as well as the fore 

 plates have usually clips in front. 



Mr. Darvell recommends, " If a horse's feet are weak 

 and low, and he has to run on hard ground, it would be 

 advisable to let him run in his shoes." 



Tips. — We may briefly sum up the chief evils result- 

 ing from the use of shoes as follows : they tend to deprive 

 the sole and frog of pressure, which, as a rule, is conducive 

 to the health of the foot; the nails are liable to break 

 away the wall ; and the weight of the shoes tends to spoil 

 the action of racehorses by making them go " higher " 

 than they ought to do in the gallop. For these reasons, 

 and on account of the fact that the hoof wears away prin- 

 cipally at the toe, " tips," say about 3 in. in length, may 

 often be employed with advantage instead of ordinary 

 shoes, and especially for animals that are not required to 

 work on metalled roads. Mr. Tom Jennings, the cele- 

 brated trainer, was accustomed for many years to use only 

 very short tips — ^just sufficient to protect the toes — for his 

 horses, both in training and racing. He was forced, how- 

 ever, to discontinue this very sensible practice, on account 



