THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
YOL. XXVI, 
No. 309. 
SEPTEMBER, 1853. 
Third Series, 
No. 69. 
ON THE MANUFACTURE OF HORSE-SHOES. 
By J. T. Hodgson, V.S. 
There are three methods of manufacturing horse-shoes — 
forging by hand labour ; forging by machinery ; casting and 
cementation. The first is the common practice, and, with 
those who follow the trade of shoeing horses in towns, occu- 
pies but one sixth of the time of the workmen : the village- 
smith doing other iron-work. 
The manufacture of horse-shoes belongs to the trade of 
hardware ; the application of the shoes is veterinary surgery, 
having the physiology of the foot for its basis. In Asia, 
Africa, and South of Europe, where cold shoeing is practised, 
these arts are not connected ; in other parts of Europe, and 
Great Britain in particular, they are combined ; as well for the 
convenience of fitting the heavier shoes used, on larger horses, 
and finding constant employment for workmen, and, some- 
times, for the advantage of superintendence by veterinary 
surgeons, for scientific shoeing of racers, hunters, chargers, 
riding horses, carriage horses, and lame horses, which is not 
carried out, when it is only followed in common practice, as a 
trade : shoeing horses used for agriculture and commerce, for 
which, in general, lower prices are charged for rougher work- 
manship ; whereas, scientifically considered, cost should never 
regulate the manner in which horses should be shod. In 
every-day business, this attention to cost is, unfortunately for 
horses, unavoidable: therefore, those who are obliged to 
follow it, can never pretend that theirs is the best practice. 
They do their best for customers, no doubt : beyond this it is 
nonsense for them to dispute with other scientific shoers for 
superiority. 
In Class xxii of the Great Exhibition, 1851, several 
horse-shoe manufacturers had honorable mention as such ; 
not as shoers of horses, which was not admitted to competi- 
tion, though it is the criterion of good shoeing, the good ma- 
nufacture of horse-shoes being but the least important part. 
xxvi. 64 
