200 
REMARKS ON MR. MOCxFORD’S LETTER. 
either in favour or disfavour of wood as a substitute for stone : all 
that we are arguing is, the adaptation of the unshod hoof to the 
wood, inasmuch as the wear and tear caused by the latter would 
not, in most instances, prove too great for the former. And we not 
only argue the practicability of the plan, but we argue, from 
the safety increased foot-hold would give, advantage in this im- 
portant respect both to horse and rider ; to say nothing of the be- 
nefits accruing to the first from the absence of that which is the 
fruitful mother of foot evils. So far for wood. In any other obser- 
vations we might feel disposed to make, we could hardly improve 
on what our excellent author, OsMER, said nearly a century ago. 
They run so much to our present purpose that we cannot resist the 
temptation to transcribe them : — 
“ When time was young,” writes Osmer, of faithful observa- 
tion, “ when the earth was in a state of nature, and turnpike roads 
as yet were not, the horse needed not the assistance of this artist 
(the farrier), for the Divine Artist had taken care to give his feet 
such defence as it pleased Him; and who is weak enough to sup- 
pose His wisdom was not sufficient to the purpose in such a state ? 
But, to prevent all supposition and cavilling on this matter, let us 
only appeal to our senses ; and we may every day see horses, 
mares, and colts, running about on all sorts of ground unshod, and 
uninjured in their feet. In many parts of the world to this day, 
even on the more rocky ground, horses are accustomed to carry their 
riders unshod ; and in this kingdom I have known several horses 
rode for a considerable time unshod, on the turnpike roads about 
London , without any injury done to their feet . And, I believe, 
there are many horses that might travel their whole lifetime un- 
shod on any road, if they were rasped round and short at the toe ; 
because all feet exposed to hard objects become thereby more ob- 
durate, if the sole be never pared. And some, by their particular 
form, depth, and strength, are enabled to resist them quite, and to 
support the weight without breaking. But, because there always 
was a great difference in the texture of horses’ feet, mankind (after 
certain periods of time, when the face of the earth became changed) 
added another defence, besides the natural one, to preserve the 
crusts of such feet as were weak, and not so well able to support 
them against new and hard objects*.” — Edit. 
* Osmer’s Treatise on the Diseases and Lameness of Horses, 1764. 
