116 TIPS AND TOE-WEIGHTS. 



front feet, and at one time thought that I would be compelled to put 

 on three-quarter shoes behind, as he was inclined to strike the coro- 

 net and needed the protection of " scalping boots." I found a 

 method, however, of fastening these, at times, necessaxy adjuncts, 

 and I was loth to change the treatment which had proved to be so 

 beneficial. The ailing foot is now nearly as perfect as the other, and 

 I have the utmost confidence that in another year it will be entirely 

 right. All that.it lacks is a trifle of the roundness of its mate, and 

 few who are not aware of the previous ailment notice the difference. 



But the rainy weather compelled driving on the macadamized 

 streets, and there being some wear at the toe, two weeks ago (Janu- 

 ary 13) I put tips on, weighing three ounces each. The next day I 

 drove him on the track, and I thought he showed a forty gait, though 

 the sharp edge of the tips wounded the hind pastern above where the 

 scalping boot came, and after that he was inclined to hitch. A 

 " speedy cut " attachment remedied that, but again the rain came, 

 and I have not driven him since. The Turf, Field and Farm, com- 

 menting on the use of tips, and referring to me driving Antevolo 

 barefooted, asked the questions which follow: 



" From this (a statement of the trotting of Antevolo) it will be 

 seen that, notwithstanding his advocacy of tips, Mr. Simpson trotted 

 his own colt, on at least two occasions, ' barefooted ' and ' without 

 shoes, tips or weights.' Has he, too, found that tips will not answer] 

 If not, why did he not use them on the occasions referred to ? " 



These questions are answered by the short history; though, if no- 

 thing had been the matter with the feet, the experiment was worth 

 trying, and if thei'e had been soft roads to drive upon I would have 

 carried it further. I have not the least doubt that Antevolo would 

 have been capable of beating 2:40 in his two-year-old form if still 

 kept barefooted, and with a very good chance to trot a good deal 

 faster than that. Whilie I claim a decided superiority for tips over 

 the full shoe, I am not prepared to say that the foot can be kept as 

 perfect as when without anything upon it. Still, however, as tips 

 are the nearest approach to a barefooted condition, the benefits of the 

 latter can be rendered available as nearly as the duties of domestica- 



