PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF SHOEING HORSES. 211 
the sole, bars, crust, and frog. We did not copy this puffing 
announcement from any particular forge ; but in every part of the 
country, and the metropolis too, we have this “ shoeing on im- 
proved,” and on “ new,” and “ the newest,” and “ the most 
approved,” and u patent,” and “ Professor Coleman’s,” and 
“ College,” and “ veterinarian,” and <f expansion principles :” 
and, added to this, and in perfect keeping, “ Veterinary surgeon, 
smiths’ work in general, and bell-hanging in all its branches;” 
while Mr. Coleman’s patent, and other shoes gilt, occupy the 
upper corners of the board, and a frying-pan and a gridiron 
ornament the lower ones, and a goodly row of pots, pans, and 
kettles, fill the window. Out upon it! Are we come to this? 
The man who has a sign-board just over Bow Bridge, “ all kinds 
of beasts gelt,” is more a veterinary surgeon, and to him we 
recommend the public. 
“ Principles most approved ” and t( Expansion ” appear to be 
distinct : there is a division as to the mode of receiving the 
weight from the last spring to the shoe, and ultimately convey- 
ing it from the shoe to the ground ; the prevailing party believing 
that the structure and physiology of the foot and hoof consist of 
springs ; that there is a depression of the sole, bars, crust, and 
frog, when the hoof is on the ground, and a recession of these 
parts when the foot is in the air : the substance of the sole is 
sacrificed to effect this depression of the sole, but no space is 
left between the heels and shoe to admit of the depression of the 
crust at the heels, which are opposite to sensible parts, as much as 
any portion of the sole. Both in light and heavy horses the con- 
sequence is percussion and alteration of form, often incurable 
lameness. 
The inferred principle has been carried on more by the College 
and its students than by others, the modifications of Mr. Cole- 
man having all this tendency, extrinsic to the form of the shoe. 
We were instructed to pare the soles of light horses, in some 
cases, as thin as paper, till they were pliable under the thumb, 
and to be particular in making the sole concave opposite the 
seat of corn ; the effect of which was, to give this depression of 
the sole: but in heavy horses it increased the predisposing 
cause of corns, by destroying the substance of the sole ; and the 
crust at the heels was sooner destroyed by concussion against 
the shoe, which then bore on the sole also. The bar-shoe was 
then had recourse to, and, to carry out the principles, it was 
said, that, as the public required one shoe to do for all horses, 
the bar-shoe was the only one applicable ; but having been used 
only in extraordinary circumstances, the public will not use it as 
an ordinary shoe. Mr. Powis used it without the bar; but the 
Lcverian shoe, as we believe he called it, though having a 
