SHOEING COLTS. i)9 



"No foot, no horse," "no frog, no foot," are 

 two true sayings, consequently we must consider 

 the frog to be a Hnk in the chain in order to 

 have a perfect working animal, all parts must 

 work in unison; if only one and the most insig- 

 nificant structure is out of order, we are in 

 trouble. The chain has a weak link, consequently 

 it matters not how powerful, speedy or game an 

 animal is, when the crucial test arrives, the en- 

 tire structure will be found to be no stronger 

 than its weakest organ. 



We hate to be told the truth. We do not like 

 to have the little things that go to build up the 

 large ones drilled into us, and the majority of 

 horsemen, upon reading the above, will say: We 

 know that much ourselves. . Certainly you do — 

 but it's the things that we know the most about, 

 that we grow careless of; we are too anxious to 

 learn something new, consequently forget the old 

 and fundamental principles of our work. For 

 instance, if a horse becomes lame, it -matters not 

 where, we look for something to cure the lame- 

 iiess, a hot iron, or a liniment that may be still 

 hotter. We do not understand the action of 

 them, but they are the things we invariably go 

 after; instead of looking after the little things, 

 things we understand, things that are the direct 

 cause of our troubles, and if any one should en- 

 deavor to explain them to us, we would exclaim, 

 "Why, I know that much myself." Certainly you 



