175 
THE VETERINARIAN, MARCH 1, 1853. 
Ne quid falsi dicere auaeat, ne quid veri non audeat. — Cicero. 
That the regulations recently issued by the authorities at 
the Horse Guards will answer one, and that the principal, 
end they appear to have in view, viz. the establishment of 
uniformity in a practice in which the different cavalry regi- 
ments differ one from another in almost as many respects 
as there are regiments, we entertain no doubt ; but that they 
will carry this point without forfeiture of something bene- 
ficial to the service, or without the introduction of something 
detrimental to it, seems to us very problematical. The subject 
of shoeing has ever been an apple of discord among even 
professional persons themselves ; a circumstance that renders 
it little likely for military persons to hit upon the preferable 
method, while there is a fearful risk of their introducing 
something wrong into it. The method they have after 
•due deliberation adopted, is in part commendable and in 
part objectionable. The allowing of the growth of the hoof 
in places where by many it used to be pared away, is an 
improvement; but the shoe they have ordered is the old 
faulty one which has been in use from time immemorial. 
The best horseshoe that can be used is the one which 
interferes least with the action of the foot, while it affords 
the animal, as nearly as possible, the same kind of tread the 
hoof itself gives him. The tread or ground-surface of the 
foot is not flat, but concave ; and for this reason a concave 
shoe , to imitate it, is the shoe we have for several years suc- 
cessfully and advantageously made use of. With this shoe 
the horse grasps or clutches the ground, making good his 
tread by indentation into that ground, and so has a fast hold 
on it, without the danger of slipping ; which he does not do 
with the ordinary shoe. The arch of the sole, which supports 
