ERRONEOUS SETTING OF TIPS. 85 



sures permit, but it elevates the frog so as to deprive it of the ad- 

 vantages of ilse, and restrains the elasticity of the upper portion of 

 the wall. 



After duly considering these facts, I felt that my elastic shoe was 

 unnecessary, and though I had spent a gi'eat deal of time in making 

 patterns, and had a model finished with, the intention of taking out 

 a patent, I became satisfied that there was a simple plan far more 

 effectual. This was the use of tips, or rather a shoe which was cut 

 off a little back of whei-e the second nail from the toe usually comes. 

 True, these were old appliances, and it appeai*ed as though, if they 

 possessed merit, they would be in more general use. Then it struck 

 me that, while the principle was correct, the application was errone- 

 ous. The custom was to prepare the foot the same as if a full shoe 

 was to be put on, and the tip was " feathered," running in a wedge 

 shape from the toe to where it ended. The bars and heels were cut 

 away so that the toe was tilted upwards, resulting in an undue strain 

 on the tendons, while the weakened bar and thinned sole were un- 

 protected. I make the tip of nearly a uniform thickness, a majority 

 of them having a quarter of an inch of metal which was filed square. 

 A shoulder was cut in the wall, and so much of the sole as the width 

 of the web required, and all back of the shoulder, was left full and 

 rounded with a file to protect the edge. Horses that were exercised 

 on the track would grow more horn than was worn away, and the 

 superfluous growth was removed when the tips were reset. The re- 

 sult of some of these experiments since the adoption of this system. 

 will be found in preceding chapters. The first was printed nearly 

 four years ago (April, 1876), and the breaks were occasioned by 

 waiting for the confirmation of the theory by the test of actual prac- 

 tice, or the discovery of defects which would interdict its adoption. 



For the last year I have only had X X (double-cross) to test the 

 matter fully, though there have been incidental illustrations which I 

 have learned something from. One of these was Three Cheers. This 

 horse also went wrong the first summer I was in California, having 

 a " bowed tendon," which I think resulted from disease in the foot. 

 He was of so much promise when a two-year-old that I was ex- 

 tremely anxious to run him, were it only in one race, being confident 



