172 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETERINARY ART. 



be satisfied with a plan of shoeing, merely be- 

 cause a horse is not immediately made lame 

 by it, but should examine also the effect pro- 

 duced by it upon the shape and structure of 

 the foot ; and tiiis rule may invariably be de- 

 pended on, that any mode of shoeing and 

 treating the foot, which has a tendency to alter 

 the form given to it by Nature, is highly ab- 

 surd and destructive ; while that practice which 

 tends to preserve its original fonii is founded 

 upon sound and rational principles. 



It has been very justly observed, that if we 

 wish to examine a perfect foot, such as Nature 

 made it, it is generally necessary to find one 

 that has never been shod ; for the common 

 mode of shoeing is so frequently destructive, 

 that we seidon meet with a horse whose feet 

 have not lost, in some degree, their original 

 form ; and this deviation from their natural 

 shape is generally proportioned to the length 

 of time he has worn shoes. From this cir- 

 cumstance, writers on farriery have been led 

 to form various opinions respecting the most 

 desirable form for a horse's foot ; but had 

 they consulted nature, this variety of opi- 

 nion would not have existed : they would 

 Uaye been convinced that the feet of all 



