96 CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. 



shoes even when nailed all round. Snl)sequent 



experience, however, has convinced me tluit I was 



Doubts of the cautious to a fault: the method w4ien judiciously 



ed as to the oii- followcd, aud the mechanical execution if accurate, 



gibilityofside- i • i i ^ i 



nailed shoeing has Dccn crowucd With complcte success as to tlie 



for hunters. 



security of the shoes. Of this I have had sufficient 

 experience during the latter period of last hunting 

 season, and throughout the present one. And I am 

 proud to add, that this desirable end has been 

 accomplished without the insertion of more than 

 the ordinary number of nails (i;i.r. eight) in any 

 one instance. 



This naturally leads to an inquiry, how this appa- 

 Appareniiy in- rcutly iusccurc nailing accomplishes the firm reten- 



secure. • r> i i 



tion of the shoe to the foot. I acknowledge it to 

 be insecure in appearance, inasmuch as one side of 

 the foot is left unnailed. Now, it cannot be denied 

 for one moment, that, had the horse's foot been a 

 senseless inelastic block, the proper and most 

 effectual way of securing the iron defence would 

 have been the nailing all round the hoof, or to 

 the very extremity of the iron ; and doubtless the 

 first man who was bold enouiih to drive nails into 

 the foot of a living horse, with the view to its de- 

 fence, contemplated only two things : first, that it 

 was incumbent upon him to drive his nails with 

 very great caution, that they might not penetrate 

 the quick ; and, secondly, so dispose them, as to 

 their relative situations, as would best secure the 



