446 
MOORCROFT’S LETTERS. 
This shoe has been long known, is recommended in the best 
books that have been published on farriery, and hung up as a 
pattern in almost all the farriers’ shops in England, but has never 
been in general use, on account of the expense which attends the 
making of it. The upper surface of the shoe in common use is a 
continued slope from the outer to the inner edge, consequently the 
foot stands in the shoe instead of upon it. The external edge of 
the crust only can come in contact with the shoe, and the weight 
of the body tends to press the foot down this inclined plane, which 
produces contraction of the heels, corns, and a variety of other 
complaints. The lower surface of the shoe I make is flat, and 
thus presents the largest surface for wear. 
Formerly, it was a general practice to raise the heel of the shoe 
by knobs or caulkings ; this, however, was found to throw the 
weight of the body too much upon the fore part of the limb, and 
produced many mischiefs. To remedy these, latterly it has been 
suggested by M. Lafosse, and others, to shoe the toe only, and let 
the whole of the back part of the foot bear against the ground, or 
to make the shoe thick at the toe and thin at the heel. This ex- 
treme brings the weight of the body too much on the back part of 
the limb, strains the hind tendons of the leg, and produces other 
inconveniences. 
The shoe I recommend is equally thick at the heel as at the 
toe, that the tread of the foot may be in the same plane when the 
shoe is on as it would be without one. I am not sanguine enough 
to think that this kind of shoe will exempt horses from all kinds 
of lamenesses in their feet, but I am warranted, by experience, to 
say that it will diminish their frequency. 
William Moorcroft. 
Letter I. 
From Mr. Moorcroft to Captain Codring ton. 
Oxford Street, Nov. 12th, 1797. 
Sir, — I have now fully ascertained that every perfection re- 
quired in horseshoes is to be attained by my method of making 
them, and believe nothing more is wanted to have their superiority 
generally acknowledged than to procure for them a fai® and ex- 
tensive trial. This cannot be done without their being brought 
