Chapter XX, 



Fig. 429.— TKe Fool and Limb 

 with Hoof Skin Removed. 



SHOEING. 

 Preliminary Explanations. 



DURING my early experience I was in- 

 duced, by the advke of friends, to 

 give what instruction I could on shoe- 

 ing. With this object, I had prepared mbdels 

 of the hoof, and the best forms of shoes, and 

 was frequently led to give short lectures on 

 the subject. It was not, however, until I 

 visited New York City, in 1872, and had 

 several conversations with Mr. Robert Bon- 

 ner on shoeing, that I was able to obtain 

 anything like a correct idea of the principles 

 of doing this. I found that what was pub- 

 lished in books accessible on the subject, was 

 but the merest rubbish, calculated in many 

 respects to seriously mislead and do harm. 

 Mr. Bonner had just purchased the mare 

 Princess, the famous old competitor of Flora 

 Temple. Her feet were badly contracted, 

 and the tendons of the legs greatly thick- 

 ened, causing her to move almost as sore 

 and stiff as a foundered horse. He assured 

 me that before I left the city the feet would 

 look entirely natural, and that she would 

 travel with as much freedom and ease as a 

 colt. From my knowledge of the subject, 

 it seemed utterly impossible to cure such a 

 case ; and yet, to my astonishment, in less 

 than three months afterward she was per- 

 fectly well. I was startled, first, to find that 

 I knew nothing of the subject ; second, that 

 there was so little known about it practical- 

 ly ; and third, that a gentleman for his own 



amusement proved to me that he had a far 



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