TIPS ON HUNTERS. 123 



banks and ditclies ; but, shortly afterwards, in crossing a common at 

 best pace, where the other horses all slipped about very much, my 

 steed suddenly came on to the floor bodily, and worse, on to my leg, 

 his hind legs ha\TDg again gone from under him. And this sort of 

 thing, having gone on in a modified form all day, sefme to think- 

 ing. As aforesaid, the ground was hard below, and very gi'easy 

 atop. The horse is a flat-footed one, and this was, of course "against 

 him," as the phrase goes. 



Hunters shod with shoi-t tips go so much better through dirt than 

 when they wear full shoes, that I am compelled to believe that their 

 heels, being free, expand on coming to the ground, and contract 

 when the time comes for dragging them out of holding clay, etc. I 

 have not been troubled with an oven-each since I have used tips, and 

 fancy that the fore foot gets more quickly out of the way of the hind 

 ones when thus shod. 



Nimshivich asks {Field, Jan. 22) : "What is the condition of frog 

 which enables one horse to go with a five-inch tip, and another only 

 with the whole shoe ] " The answer is, that a thrushy frog, if badly 

 diseased and in a state of inflammation, is in too tender a state to 

 vnthstand stones, etc.; and I once knew a case in which the sensitive 

 frog was all but exposed, the horny frog, or what thrush had left of 

 it, being worn down. The animal, a. four-year-old mare, very soon 

 recovered, and had sound frogs until a railway accident destroyed 

 her at six years old. All sound horses will go sound in short tips ; 

 but they will not thump their feet down with the action so dear to 

 London coachmen, as if they wished to penetrate the pavement with 

 their legs. They will use their knees less, but their shouldei'S more. 

 Thus shod, I have never had an instance of a horse breaking his 

 knees on the road, with one exception, and he slipped on a piece of 

 ice when being led at exercise. His shoes were full Charliers, and 

 he broke his knees through his kneecaps. Had he had tips, I think 

 he would have stood up. The full Charlier shoe is not such a safe- 

 guard against slipping as the tip, which puts the heels as well as the 

 frog on the ground. Now, I must disagree with " Nimshivich's ' 

 friend as to our forefathers being experts in shoeing. The very old 

 English shoe, worn by the " destriers " (which we should call cart- 



