279 
EXPOSE OF THE CHIEF ERROR IN THE PRESENT 
SYSTEM OF SHOEING HORSES, AND AN 
IMPROVED METHOD SUGGESTED. 
By Mr. James Turner, Veterinary Surgeon, 
Regent Street , London. 
Mr. Editor, 
Sir, 
SHOULD you deem the following practical remarks on shoe¬ 
ing, or rather the method of affixing shoes to the feet of horses, 
worthy a place in your invaluable journal “ The Veterina¬ 
rian,” you will oblige me by inserting this letter. 
A short time ago, in the hurry of practice, my attention was 
suddenly attracted by a most extraordinary alteration having 
taken place in the shape of the fore feet of a horse seven years 
Did, which had literally changed from an oblong to a circular 
shape, in the short period of a few months, although exposed to 
}uick work daily on the hard road, and without any person 
being aware that means had been resorted to for effecting such a 
purpose. 
On my investigation as to the cause of this important benefit 
which the feet had some how or other derived, it turned out that 
I had been consulted by the owner of this horse, some months 
previously, respecting his being a determined cutter before, both 
his ancles being then raw from the repetition of blows. His feet 
were exceedingly contracted; but I consider it necessary to ac 7 
knowledge the horse was perfectly free from lameness, and that 
my assistance was only required by the owner relative to the 
cutting. Accordingly, I gave my own shoeing-smith directions 
to shoe both fore feet to the extreme, against cutting , as fol¬ 
lows :—A shoe of moderate substance, and of equal thickness 
toe and heels, to be nailed at the toe and outside quarter, with 
an extra nail or two at the outside heel, but not a single naib to 
be driven or hole punched in the inner half of the shoe , except 
one a little inclined to the inside toe, and all the inner edge of 
the shoe, that otherwise would have been fullered, to be bevelled 
off, to prevent the possibility of the iron interfering with the oppo¬ 
site leg, and, of course, to avail himself of a further advantage 
by rasping away as much as possible the inner wall of the hoof, 
without rendering the horse tender in his work, by approaching 
too near the quick. It was also arranged for this plan to be fol¬ 
lowed up at the termination of every three weeks, whether the 
shoes were worn out or not, and which was strictly attended to. 
