548 
CONFORMATION OF HORSES. 
found by having the bearing of the hoof on the shoe, by the 
crust only, he could produce this very descent of the sole and 
expansion of the crust which are so detrimental in changing the 
form of the hoof from the high concave sole and upright crust, 
to the low flat sole and oblique crust; and as a corollary, he 
calculated the degree of descent and expansion in this par- 
ticular case. 
Mr. Gloag, on the contrary, in all his experiments supported 
the sole, (vide woodcuts, pp. 197,) under which state the sole 
did not descend or the crust expand, and the detrimental 
change in the form of the hoof from the high concave sole and 
upright crust, to the low flat sole and oblique crust, does not 
happen. The horse, therefore, will last longer, be of more service 
to her Majesty, who is not obliged to use up her cavalry 
horses to get her dinners out of them; and if it should again 
come to the pinch, they would have hoofs to stand on, and 
not be like Mr. Reeve’s horse, require the using-up shoe, when, 
as in Sir John Moore’s retreat, there may be no time to 
apply, much less to seat it. Then you deny the utility of 
the descent of the sole and expansion of the crust ? It does 
not necessarily follow, because the sole descends that the 
crust should expand, since the cleft may be narrowed instead, 
as in shod feet : the frog only may descend, as in Mr. Gloag’s 
experiments. I believe this to be the solution of the mystery, 
of expansion or non-expansion in the hoof of a horse, and 
that the former is detrimental, and the latter advantageous. 
I have observed this to be the case in India, the south of 
Europe, and even in the north of Europe ; but in England, 
where the advice of Horace only is followed, u To make 
money if you can honestly, but still to make money,” the 
case is widely different. The use of the hoof is to be hard , 
strong , and unyielding , and concave at the base . Not to be soft, 
weak , and yielding , and flat at the base , for the more it is so, the 
more useless it is — incapable of supporting the w'eight of the 
horse, much less an addition of 18 or 20 stone on his back. 
Anything therefore, that, instead of keeping it in the former 
state, induces the latter, is injurious . Oh ! but I must have 
the use of my horse. Well, you shall have it, only try the 
non-descent and non-expansive system, instead of the des- 
cending and expansive one I assure you, from long experi- 
ence — I don’t want you to believe me when you can try it, 
— try it fairly, — give your horse a chance of not being used 
p so early, you will consequently be money in pocket.* As 
to cavalry horses, I have nothing to do with them. The 
gentlemen who have to report upon it, will no doubt do so 
* Three months is too short a period. 
