220 BAD TO SHOE. 



strap or rein to the hind foot, and pull back as previously explained. 

 At first there will usually be great resistance, the horse kicking with 

 great spitefulness, or pulling the foot forward energetically. But 

 however much he may resist at first, it must not be accepted as a 

 cause for discouragement. Simply keep pulling the foot back at 

 short intervals until there is no resistance. When given freedom, it 

 will be rested upon the toe, then pull forward and back as before ex- 

 plained. In some cases it may be necessary to tie forward by bring- 

 ing the strap over the neck, back between the legs, and making fast 

 to hold the foot firmly uritii all resistance is overcome. Treat the 

 opposite foot in the same manner. 



This was the treatment pursued by us with the most success in 

 the management of the worst cases. A good deal of course will de- 

 pend upon the use of tact and good management, as before ex- 

 plained. A coarse-grained, passionate man can very soon undo a 

 great deal of good work. In the management of these critical cases 

 a great point is made by having a good, quiet man to stand at the 

 head and stroke the nose, and it is needless to state that the smith 

 should be a man of considerable patience ; but when thccase is se- 

 rious it should never be shod in the shop. All this should be done 

 where free from the excitement and annoyance of such a place! This 

 is a point I would particularly impress upon the reader — to attend 

 to accomplishing your end well at home, then take such precaution 

 as you can without exciting or annoying the horse much when it 

 becomes necessary to shoe him at the shop. 



To give an idea of the power of this treatment when properly 

 applied, I will refer to its effects upon a few special cases. 



At Bellows Falls, Vt., a paper-maker owned a fine .horse, which, 

 though otherwise very gentle, was extremely hard to shoe. A trav- 

 eling horseman of much experience and a great deal of pretension, 

 visited the place and made a small class. The owner, wishing to 

 have his horse broken, brought him in to be experimented upon. 

 According to the gentleman's statement to me, this man worked 

 with the horse about half a day, injuring him very severely, — in the 

 owner's language, " almost killed him." The result of it all was 

 that the horse beat the man completely, and was more reckless and 

 determined in his opposition than before. I requested the gentle- 

 man to let me see the horse. Finding him to be naturally of a good 

 disposition, and that his resistance proceeded mainly from excite- 

 ment, I told the owner we would have no difficulty at all with the 

 horse, and succeeded in making him perfectly gentle in about fifteen 

 minutes. 



