THE OAKLAND STREETS. 23 



haps, the great Longfellow. The use of the racing-tip obviates all 

 danger of this kind, and consequently the advantage, in this particu- 

 lar, is worthy of consideration. A few horses have been able to mm 

 faster in their training-shoes than when plated — ^doubtless arising 

 from the broader surface of the shoes distributing the jar over a 

 greater M-idth, and those hoi'ses having a light wall. 



Dan Mace, in his lettei's in the New York Spirit of the Times, 

 ascribed FuUerton working badly on one occasion to the heels of the 

 shoe having sprung so as to give a wrong bearing. This horse has a 

 light wall, and, as it is known that white feet are not usually as 

 strong as those of a darker color, a trifling displacement of the shoe 

 would affect him, when another horse with a stronger foot would be 

 able to bear it with impunity. It is hardly necessary to present 

 further arguments on the advantages of leaving the quarters com- 

 pletely unfettered, and retaining the whole capacity of the heel to 

 obviate the bad effects of concussion. It will be as well to consider 

 the objections to tips being used on horses which are required to 

 work fast, and, perhaps, there may be something so fatal to their 

 general use that it may be necessary to adopt the old shoe, or a re- 

 modification of it. Stonehenge's objection, that the frog and heel 

 would be worn so thin as to lame the animal, does not hold good so 

 far as I have experimented. It is evident that a macadamized, gravel- 

 covered road would present most friction, and as some horses slide 

 their feet along in making the stride, the wear would be very severe. 

 The subject I have tried was particularly prone to this manner of 

 progression, and an ordinary shoe was soon worn ou^t on the Oakland 

 streets, which are entirely paved with macadam, and some of them 

 covered with sharp beach gravel. I tested the " elastic shoe " on 

 him, a cast-ii'on shape, with a groove in which was filled a composi- 

 tion of rubber and wool. In less than a week the elastic material 

 was entirely worn away, and the greater poi-tion of the soft iron at 

 the toe. The animal was three years old in 1875, thoroughbred, and 

 had a good deal of trotting action, being able to trot a mile in four 

 minutes, showing at times a much faster gait on the road. He pre- 

 sented a good oppoi'tunity to experiment with, and I tried several 

 varieties of shoes, preparing his feet and nailing them on myself. 



