516 
CONFORMATION OF HORSES. 
of the forge-carts belonging to the regiments in the rear ? 
Were the shoes made, and altered, &c. ?, 
Perhaps Messrs. Field, Turner, or Mavor, might be able to 
answer the questions. The Indian troop farrier carries tools 
and shoes in a haversack, he does not require a forge cart, or 
patent forge . 
The late Professor Coleman used to say, “ if any credit 
w as due, it was in the application of, not the form of shoe.” 
He endeavoured all in his pow T er to induce his students to 
think like him on the physiology of the foot, and the prin- 
ciples of shoeing horses. 
His doctrine was founded in nature, and it was always his 
object to place the foot, if he could, under natural circum- 
stances. Some of us, w r ho were practical men, did not agree 
with him as to the mode of carrying this out in some cases, 
but upon the whole he was right. Showing the base of the 
hoof, he said, “You see some parts are projecting, as the 
low r est edge of the crust and bars, at the points of the heels, 
also the frog; the sole is concave. Now parts that project, 
we kmnv, were intended to take bearing on the ground in the 
first instance, while those that are concave take bearing as 
the parts recede, less or more, and as the nature of the ground 
admits of it. Every time the foot is put on the ground, the 
navicular bone descends, the surrounding soft parts are con- 
densed by the pressure of weight, and, if this is light, the hoof 
hard, strong , and non-yielding, the sole arched, and not depres- 
sible, and the surface upon w hich it is placed, as the ground, 
is hard, or in the application of the shoe, descent of parts is 
thereby prevented, the soft parts meet with immediate 
counter-pressure from below 7 , the pressure and counter-pres- 
sure are equal, as in horses’ hind feet, and in light horses’ 
fore feet ; the sole does not descend, but remains concave, 
and the crust is not expanded.” In horses’ hind feet as well 
as in fore feet of this description, lameness notwithstanding 
seldom occurs. It is the same with ponies, mules, and asses. 
What ? bring in donkeys ? I am not inclined to be jocular 
now it has come to this, it is too important a subject. 
Expansionists and non-expansionists, as they are called, 
have been brought into court, under the w inding-up act, I 
suppose. I read in your Journal, scientific shoeing was 
buried ; not so, it appears it is left an open question still ; 
I thought I w T as like the nigger who said, “ me cock my legs 
now, and let time pass me.” Not so; on the contrary, if the 
pressure of weight is heavy, the hoof soft, weak, and depressible, 
the surface upon which it is placed soft and yielding, as 
marshy ground, or, in the application of the shoe, the bearing 
