T H 11E E -QU A ltT I'. RED SHOE. 
521 
corns in the inside heel have been entirely got rid of ; but they 
have been produced on the outside heel, so much so, as to require 
some care in preparing that part of the foot. 
In point of principle, - so far as relates to the natural functions 
of the foot, which natural functions I presume every one under- 
stands, or, at any rate, every one pretends to understand, which, 
doubtless, answers the same purpose — this shoe is most valuable ; 
for whether the most important object be frog-pressure, descent of 
the sole, expansion of the quarters, or unfettered play for the car- 
tilages — whether it be the one or the other of these, as some as- 
sert, or their combined action, as others more rationally main- 
tain, no shoe that has ever been had recourse to admits of their 
being carried on with such entire freedom as this. Every other 
shoe, however well applied, encircles the bottom of the foot, sub- 
jects it to one uniform artificial pressure — bearing always exactly 
on the same surface — applied equally to the most elastic and to 
the more fixed points of support — not allowing one part to catch 
the weight at one time and another at the other-— not relieving 
the highly elastic inside quarter from pressure for, perhaps, some 
steps following, and then, when receiving it, admitting of its action 
with unlimited freedom — bruising, irritating, and, in many cases, 
entirely altering the structure of the sole at the inner angle of the 
foot. Every shoe, I repeat, that has ever been used, is liable to 
all these objections, except the three-quarter one, which having 
the inner third of the foot perfectly free, and still affording it 
sufficient protection to enable it to meet all demands made on it, 
effects “ a consummation devoutly to be wished. ” 
In conclusion, I would say, that I think this system of shoeing 
may be adopted to a very considerable extent ; and should it not 
be found to do all that may (unreasonably ]) be expected of it, or 
should it, in some few cases, be misapplied, it has this valuable 
negative advantage, that it can do no possible harm. Should, 
however, my Stoke Newington ally prove to be right, and his thin 
flat feet, as well as my narrow strong ones, bear this “ shameless 
exposure,” so that we may at once “ put this and that together,” 
why, then, I should not hesitate a moment in going the “ whole 
hog,” and declaring that of all the shoes wherewith horses are 
shod, the unilateral, or to speak less learnedly (if one may venture 
to do so without the fear of our friends and patrons becoming 
shoeing-smiths as well as horse-doctors) the old three-quarter shoe 
is, without the chance of exception, the possibility of competition, 
or the fear of contradiction, the very best shoe with which a horse 
can be shod. But (and let this be considered as the postscript, 
in which, as is not uncommon, all that is worth reading is written) 
having some doubts, or, at any rate, not having any proofs of its 
